Because I Know You
by caalan
Summary: FINISHED! How long can a love triangle last? Can doing the noble thing really bring happiness? Long romantic saga about Travis and Lily.
1. A Gentle Push

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. J 

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

Because I Know You

Chapter One: A Gentle Push

As he held her, he felt her pulse quicken and the flush rise in her cheek. Her statement seemed a contradiction. "We're just friends."

"Are you sure?"

Her eyes were impossibly wide as she whispered, "I… I don't know."

It wasn't exactly the answer he wanted to hear and yet he still wanted so badly to give in again, to brush his lips against hers. He wondered if he would have the strength to hold back. She was leaning in to him, intoxicating and tantalizing. He gently grasped her arms to hold her back so that he could speak without temptation.

"Wait, Lily." The look she gave him caused his stomach to lurch. He was going to cause her pain. Not only was that against his very nature but Lily was the one person on the planet that he would give anything to protect. He steeled his nerves and tried again.

"We can't do this."

Her defenses went up. She stepped back from him and crossed her arms. Her voice was cold but shaking. "You mean you don't want to."

"Lily, want is not a strong enough word, I want to, but I can't. We can't. This would hurt so many people, including me and you."

"Travis, how can this hurt me? It's all I can think about, you're all I can think about."

It amazed him how she could make him impossibly happy with that statement and yet he was going to push her away. He was ashamed of himself for not wanting to look at the big picture. He wanted to grasp at this chance with Lily and be selfish no matter what the consequences.

"Lily, that's just it. It's not a good thing that we aren't thinking of others at all." She dropped her gaze as if she'd been scolded, her face producing a small pout that made him waiver on the edge. He was so close to just pulling her to him to reassure her that her effect on him was just as profound, so she could feel the intensity he was trying so hard to hide from her.

He ducked his head into her line of vision. "Could you stand a little Haiku drivel?" She rolled her eyes but remained silent, which he took, as her permission to continue.

"South of India, people used to catch monkeys in a very special way." He smiled at her expression, her eyebrows rising with girlish attitude. "They would cut a small hole in a coconut, just large enough for a monkey to put its hand in, fill it with a sweet and then tie it to a tree. The monkey smells the sweet, squeezes its hand into the coconut and grabs the sweet. Now he has what he wanted but he is trapped because his fist will not go through the hole and he stubbornly will not let go of the sweet. Nature provides everything he needs, and yet now he is vulnerable and alone, caught by his attachment and selfishness."

She lets out a small huff and her posture softens. Attempting to lighten the mood a little she asks, "So am I the monkey or the nut?"

He smirks and takes her hand, rubbing his thumb softly across her knuckles. He wonders how he'll be able to let go. "Lily, you are the sweet. I do not have a problem being attracted to you, but this situation, at this time is the trap. We'd be trapped by all the anger and confusion. Right now we both need Robbie, RFR, and Ray. And…" he paused to be sure he had her full attention, "If we were ever to be together, I would want you to have no regrets. Do you understand?" He was desperate for her to realize his intention.

Understanding did not bring her any comfort. She had to step back across the line and define their friendship once again. She fell back on the old standby of humor as a defense, "So that makes you the monkey?" This brings the twinkle back to his eye, a bittersweet victory at best.

Again the tears sprang to her eyes and this time she lets them fall. She pulled her hand away, covering it with the other as if to preserve the lingering heat caused by his touch. She gathered her things and walked to the door, turning to him one last time as she asks, "Are you sure?"

He wasn't but he couldn't tell her that. His throat seemed impossibly constricted, he couldn't give voice to lie to her so directly, so he answered the only way he could, with a small nod and a sad smile.

***


	2. A Shove in the Right Direction

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. J 

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Can you believe I'm already revising this? Well, tut-tut, I am. A big shout out to Eyes of a Child (Rini) for catching a plot snafu, the worst kind in my humble opinion. As a small treat, she gets my impersonation of Randy Jackson from American Idol, "Yo, yo, yo, girl! Gotta give you your props, YEAH! You brought it doownnn, tonite!" Thanks again.

Because I Know You 

Chapter Two: A Shove in the Right Direction

Ray couldn't remember feeling any happier than he did at this very moment. Robbie had told him that Lily liked him. Not just a "Gosh Ray, you're my best friend"-Like but quite possibly a "We-could-date-and-kiss-for-real-this-time"-Like. He had lied somewhat to Robbie about not wanting to confess his undying love. But maybe Robbie was right, no need to rush things. Even as he was trying to act casual and walk calmly back to the station, his feet acted on their own and picked up speed as he caught sight of the door.

Ray ran over Lily in his excitement, knocking her to the ground. He grabbed her hands to pull her up. "Lily! I'm so sorry! I was moving so fast. I should have been looking where…" He stopped short when he noticed that her eyes were wet and she seemed pale and shaky. He held onto her hands, concerned suddenly for her. "Man! Did I hurt you?"

Her eyes flew to his and she barely got out the words, "It wasn't you, Ray." She seemed to be deciding something crucial before she stuttered out, "I …I've gotta go." She pulled her hands from his tight grasp and left so quickly that Ray stood a moment, stunned. He was beginning to think Robbie was an idiot or at least just as clueless about reading women as he was.

He noticed the station door was still open. Immediately, his anger rose, he just knew that Travis had stirred things up again. He wasn't going to sit by and watch him hurt Lily like this. She may not want to be his girl, but she was still his best friend, and no one hurts his friends.

He came through the door hoping he looked as menacing as he felt. "Swami, you can't even go 24 hours without leaving a trail of despair! You know how I feel about Lily! I won't sit by and watch you…"

He was quickly interrupted by Travis, "That's good, Ray." His voice was eerily calm and soft. He was sitting in Lily's chair idly twirling her headphones.

"What are you talking about? Speak English this time, Swami."

Travis' stare was just as calm and eerie as his voice. "Exactly what I said. It's good. Don't sit back this time, Ray."

"What exactly did you say to her, Travis? Why is she so upset?"

Travis hadn't moved from his spot. It didn't look like he was going to for quite some time. "We came to an understanding about all of this," he said while waving his hand in the air.

"If that's a look of understanding, then I'd rather be clueless, Swami."

Travis' anger flashed like lightning at the repeated use of the hated nickname. His voice hardened, "Ray, that's just it. You've been clueless. I'm telling you now that you are right. Now is not the time for you to sit idly by, as you said. Tell her how you feel. Show her."

Ray physically stepped back from the verbal reproach. He didn't really want to fight with Travis. "I've been trying."

Travis' expression turned slightly more neutral but still left Ray feeling uncomfortable under its scrutiny. "Ray, let me put it in terms you can understand."

"What? Small words?"

"No. Baseball."

"Baseball?"

Travis smirked, "Yeah. Ray, you're the pitcher, bases are loaded, two outs, and the count is 3 and 2. You are either going to let some guy walk in a score or you are going to throw a strike. The perfect pitch."

Ray shuffled his feet, suddenly shy of what he was about to admit, and to Travis of all people. "What if I can't?"

Travis suddenly got up and grabbed his bag, heading for the door. Ray thought his question was going to go unanswered when Travis stopped at the threshold. He had only thought Travis looked intense earlier, now he looked like he could take on the world. "Then you can bet I'll be sliding for home."

***

To be continued…. Will Ray convince Lily? Can Travis really step away? And more importantly did you like it, did you love it, want me to trash it?


	3. A Softer Landing

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: O.K. all you Trily fans, it could get a little bumpy for the next couple of chapters but hang tight. Time will jump forward more quickly in the chapters after this one as this story spans their years in high school. Hey, to any Rily fans who were brave enough to read this knowing the outcome. I hope I do the pairing justice. 

Because I Know You 

Chapter Three: A Softer Landing

After Travis had left, Ray could only remember Lily's face and how upset she had been. He had to find her and try to make her feel better. She'd probably punch him and tell him to go away but he felt it was his duty as the official "best friend." He'd done it so long that it was instinct anyway. From skinned knees, lost trinkets, and crushed crushes, he'd at least let her know he cared. Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that Robbie was probably right, his love confession would have to wait just a little longer. Robbie was telling him to wait and Travis was telling him to hurry. Even in his confusion he had a suspicion that both Robbie and Travis probably knew more about girls. Why was he the horse at the back of the pack with mud in his eye? Well, he knew Lily and that's all that mattered to him.

She wasn't hard to find. She was in her backyard behind the Gigantuous Twee. At least that's how they said it when they were little. It truly was a massive tree and Lily was sitting under it hidden by its trunk with her arms wrapped around her knees, her head lowered. As he approached he whispered, "Be vewy, vewy, qwiet. I'm hunting Keebwer elves." That earned him a sniffling snort and he deemed it safe to sit next to her.

"Sorry for anything that hurts, Lily" and much softer he added, "whether I caused it or not."

She looked at him then, her tears glittering in the soft evening light. She'd been holding back and as she looked at him the dam burst. She reached blindly for him, her sobs hiccuping wildly. He only thought he'd been hurt by the infamous kiss. Seeing the devastating effect this was having on her, he knew she'd faired far worse.

It seemed like she cried for hours, but that was probably an exaggeration. With Lily, everything he felt was multiplied. He did what he always did. He held her, stroked her hair, and occasionally talked about non-sensical things so that she wouldn't feel that her sorrow was in the spotlight. She was a strong and confident person normally; she hated for anyone to see her cry.

As her sobs calmed he decided she was ready to be cheered. He was glad to be so attuned to her patterns. As she pulled away and straightened herself up he tested the waters, "So, Shady, when you did the X-PO-ZAY on softer landings, I didn't know you were speaking from experience." That earned him the trademark punch in the arm and he smiled.

Her voice was hoarse from crying, "Well, I'm probably the only girl I know that can feel dumped without having actually dated."

Her attempt at humor did not convince him, "Really, Lily, are you going to be O.K?"

"Oh, eventually," she glanced shyly at him "How did you know?"

"It wasn't hard. I went back to ask you to walk with me and I knock over a very flustered Shady. Travis was still there and I gave him my opinion about hurting my best friend."

She looked suddenly horrified; "You two didn't fight, did you?"

"No, not exactly. I made it clear that he'd better not hurt you again. Being the guru that he is, he turned around and gave _me _advice. Don't tell him but he's probably right."

She simply stared…"And?"

"Maybe some other time, Lily. How about we go grab a pizza, you know, girlie comfort food and all that?" She looked as if she was going to cry again and he was frantically replaying the last phrase in his head to find his mistake.

He nearly fell over as she lunged forward and hugged him fiercely. Her breath tickled his ear and his world tilted. "Ray, you always make me feel better. My own personal warm blanket after getting caught in a rainstorm." She pulled away too quickly in his opinion. She spoke again, sounding more like the Lily he knew and loved. "So how about that pizza? You're buying right, seeing as I'm the one who's in need of comfort?"

He rose and pulled her to her feet, "Sure thing, Lily! Um, could I borrow five bucks?" He felt the wallop connect with his bicep and smiled inwardly. As Lily grabbed his hand and leaned her head onto his shoulder he was hopeful that soon he wouldn't have to wait for a crisis to hold her this way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day was Saturday, the best day of the week as far as Ray was concerned. It was all good; there was sleeping in, cartoons, free reign of his time, the Brennan family smorgasbord his dad liked to call the "Rest of the Best." In the real world it was called leftovers. Most people didn't like them but his mom was a good cook and he could eat five entrees in one meal.

This Saturday, however, he had a little unfinished business. He'd already tried Travis' home and cell numbers, checked under the CD racks at Mickey's, and of course the station. He'd decided to give up and walk home. After all, he wasn't actually looking forward to another conversation with Travis.

As he was passing the neighborhood park, he saw him, meditating as usual. He was in his standard pose of meditation at the end of a seesaw. Travis heard his approach and spoke without breaking his position, "Hello Ray." Ray could only answer with the standard, "Hey," he was unsure how to start this little talk. Of course, Travis solved that little problem by diving in.

"Is Lily OK?"

Ray moved to the other side of the see saw and decided it would be too dorky to straddle it so he used it as a bench. Travis deftly adjusted to the same position on the other side as the weight balanced them. Travis continued his inquiry, "I assume that as her best friend you were able to get her to stop crying? I can't seem to have that effect." Ray almost felt sorry for him.

"Well, it looks like I'm in good company cause I made her cry too." At that comment, Travis finally looked him in the eye, curious but worried. Ray continued, "Well, it was more of a Hallmark moment kind of cry." He saw Travis wince and asked the question he'd been pondering all night. "Travis, if you like Lily like I think you do why are you doing this?"

Travis looked to the sky for a moment before replying honestly, "You're my friend Ray. Granted, I'm probably not as close as Robbie and Lily, but still …a friend. There is no honor in betraying a friend." 

Ray was beginning to understand that Travis truly did operate under another code. "I guess I want to say thanks. I really care for Lily and I think this will be a good thing. I mean I have known her since we were wee-little-kids."

Travis turned to look at Ray directly. "The amount of time has little to do with it, Ray. I know her too. And she knows me."

"Oo-Kaay," Ray was unsure how to respond to that statement when Travis asked another question.

"Did you throw the perfect pitch?"

"Ah, so we're back to baseball. No, not yet. It's not really time considering how much she was hurting." Travis winced again and Ray continued, "I won't let my chance go by. I won't take your sense of honor for granted."

Travis nodded and remained silent. Ray decided it was best for him to go. "So I guess I'll see you later, Swami."

"Ray, how many times does it take? Don't call…."

This time Ray was the one, who interrupted, "You know, Travis, it may have started out wrong, but when I say that now, there's respect backing it up."

Travis nodded his acceptance but then playfully narrowed his eyes. "You mean it's a term of endearment now? I'm not sure if I like that."

Ray huffed, "Well, it was either Swami or Poohead, and I was leaning toward giving that one to Robbie."

Travis actually smiled at that. "Shut-up, Ray." And with an evil grin, Travis rose quickly from the seesaw dropping Ray unceremoniously on his butt. He strode off with Ray yelling after him, "A simple punch in the arm would do, Swami!"


	4. Something Better

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Song lyrics are by Coldplay, I don't own them. Characters are from RFR, sadly, I don't own them either. One tiny little lyric from the Lion King, (yes, Lion King, that's what I said.) Yada yada yada.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: For all you Robbie fans out there, I must apologize. He does not feature much in this story which is why it's called a love triangle. I hope this little tidbit makes up for it and is true to his character. How do you like the story so far? Trily folks, don't hate me yet, we've got a long way to go.

****

Because I Know You 

Chapter Four: Something Better

The following weeks passed by uneventfully. Each day they would meet at the studio as usual for the daily dose of RFR but the topics were just as uneventful. Robbie was beginning to feel that Cougar Radio was a more meaningful use of the airwaves. The end of term and the summer holiday was nigh and he wanted to bring RFR back to the standard it had been before "IT" happened.

The phrase, walking on eggshells, didn't even begin to describe how the four had been handling their situation. That would imply that they admitted they had a problem. Oh, they shared classes, a few lunches, and even had all hung out together once or twice. Yet, it was a parallel universe type of friendship; only safe subjects were discussed, such as the latest movies, most recent CD's or Waller's last trip down Ludicrous Lane. A simple "How are you" could cause tension. Being friends with Ray and Lily for as long as he had, he knew all the moves to the "ignorance is bliss" dance. Travis seemed to be struggling a little more. He would maintain a distance and yet staunchly show up every day for the RFR broadcast, little more than an automaton of routine.

Robbie felt responsible for the last on-air debacle and had promised himself that from that point forward he would "see nothing, say nothing, do nothing." However, he could see now that this game of "psychological chicken" was undermining the whole point of Radio Free Roscoe. It sure didn't feel like "do what we want, say what we want." Frankly, it sucked. Time to poke the dying fire with a sharp pointy stick.

"This is Radio…"

"Free…"

"Roscoe. I'm Question Mark and I'm wondering can true friendship recover from betrayal?"

The silence in the studio was oppressive; like that moment just after a blinding flash of lightning when your heart stops in anticipation of the bone-shaking clap of thunder. It might have been anti-climatic for listeners but Smog's trademark monotone retort had just as much impact on the DJ's as the thunder would have. "Betrayal is often based on one person's perception of an event. Their level of attachment could cause them to associate emotions and actions truthfully not involved, such as deception, anger, envy…when really it is simple as impulse."

Robbie looked around the studio. "This is it," he thought. Lily's lip quivered and Ray and Travis locked gazes; it was an eerie moment of deja vu. Robbie hoped it was strong enough to snap them back in time and deal with this in the manner they should have in the first place. The moment stretched a beat longer, tightening almost unbearably, so Robbie spoke softly, "What do you think, Pronto? Can friendship recover? Completely?"

Rays eyes finally released their hold on Travis'. He looked around at Robbie. In that instant he decided that all this drama was as useful as a screen door on a submarine. "You know, Question Mark, my dad always says that no matter how bad the break, given a little time and proper care, a bone will mend stronger than it was before the trauma. What do you think, Shady?"

As Ray looked in her direction he didn't know if he could name each emotion that seemed to cross her face. Obviously he saw relief there, possibly pride, and what he hoped was deep affection. She smiled widely as she spoke, "Just because its cliché doesn't make it any less true. What do you think callers? We'll get your take on "Can Friends Amend" after this song."

There were the familiar sounds of switches flicked and headphones removed. A slow smile crossed Robbie's face as he met each of his friends' gazes. As they all looked around grinning stupidly Ray abruptly broke into song.

"_Caaan you feeeel the loove toniiite_…. OW! That hurts Lily!"

They basked in the simple camaraderie that had been missing for the past weeks. Easily they fell back into the rhythm of bantering, playing songs and answering calls. Travis smoothly alerted them that the current song was ending and held up the chalkboard inscribed with the name "Devastated Diva." He looked tense and nervous once again.

"Question Mark here. I take it from your name, Devastated, that you were on the ugly end of betrayal?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend decided to cheat on me with one of my good friends." Robbie, Ray, and Lily now realized what had Travis feeling so uncomfortable; Audrey was on the line.

Ray was the first to snap out of his shock. "That is harsh. But maybe it was one of those things Smog mentioned, perception, proportion…whatever."

Her voice seemed heavy with her misery, "Yeah, well, even if I am perceiving things that aren't there, it doesn't make the pain any less real. I really liked him." Lily and Travis seemed to wince in tandem at that statement. Travis suddenly made himself very busy in the booth.

Lily suddenly found her voice, "You know, Devastated, a wise man once told me that if it's meant to be you won't break up; but if it does, maybe it's because there's something better out there. I'd like to think that's true for both friendship and love." Travis' attention was suddenly riveted to Lily, as was Ray's. "Because after what you've been through, you definitely deserve better, whether it's a new boyfriend and a new friend or just the same people who've learned a lot from their mistake, you definitely deserve better." 

"Thanks, Shady. You'd make a better friend." Lily smiled sadly at the irony in that comment. "I'd certainly hope so, Devastated."

Smog interrupted quickly before dead air took center stage, "Thanks for your time, caller. It seems we've had a response to your situation. A request was made just for you; I hope it holds meaning for you. We're signing off with this song by Coldplay."

__

Now I never meant to do you wrong.  
That's what I came here to say.  
But if I was wrong, then I'm sorry.  
But don't let it stand in our way  
Cause my head just aches when I think of  
The things that I shouldn't have done.  
But life is for livin' we all know  
And I don't want to live it alone.

The gang was silent for Travis' anonymous but none the less heartfelt apology via song. As the song died down Travis spoke, "Ray? Lily?" At their questioning looks he continued, "Thanks, I had no idea what to say to her, I kind of froze up. I'm glad you could help her."

Ray said sincerely, "No problem, Swami. You know you didn't have to let her call through."

Travis simply said, "Yes, I did."

They all nodded, understanding Travis' desire to ease Audrey's pain. Lily was beginning to understand more clearly what Travis had been trying to tell her that day in the studio. She could only imagine the pain they would have caused everyone if Travis had not pulled away. Her cheeks flushed as she realized he'd been completely honest that day, he had been attracted to her and possibly still was. When Travis' eyebrow rose in response to her lingering stare she ducked her head.

Robbie softly said, "Great show today, guys. I'm glad you are _really_ back. I've missed you."

He received tentative smiles as they all stood and started gathering their things. "How about we go grab a bite at Mickey's?"

Lily declined immediately, already halfway to the door, "Sorry, guys, the Randalls require my presence this afternoon, previous engagements and all."

As Lily exited, Travis declined as well, "Me too, guys. I need to straighten out the studio. It seems I've been neglecting my duties here as of late. Time to give it the attention it deserves."

Robbie smiled brightly at that, a sign that perhaps RFR was indeed back on track. "Well, Ray, it's just you and me. Shall we?"

"We shall, you buying?" At Robbie's chuckle he continued, "I need your help anyway." They headed for the door.

"Really? What could the famous Pronto possibly need my help with?"

"Baseball, my friend. The perfect pitch."

Even though they were already out of the studio, Travis heard that last statement. He sat heavily in his chair, suddenly not wanting to do any organizing. He was honestly trying to do the noble thing but he felt like such a hypocrite. His perfect delivery of the "betrayal is perception" speech had seemed to help clear the air. Yet, in his mind, the betrayal was not in his impulse to kiss Lily. It was his inability to stop thinking of her as something more than a friend … something better.


	5. Fresh Starts

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Song lyrics are by Coldplay, I don't own them. Characters are from RFR, sadly, I don't own them either.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Hold on tight TRILY, it's going to be a bumpy ride! Is anybody reading this thing? I type and type and type and (sniff) my box is empty (sniff) I don't know if I can see the keyboard through these tears! (MWAAAAAA!)

****

Because I Know You 

Chapter Five: Fresh Starts

As the last bell rang signaling the close of classes, the atmosphere rivaled that of Rio's Carnival. Students were hardly thinking of schoolwork as this was the last week before the summer holiday. Most took the attitude that studying for the exams was a moot point, if they hadn't learned it by now, they probably wouldn't in the next couple of days. Lily found the girl she was looking for on the steps in front of the school doing a perspective drawing of the building as it stretched along the grounds.

"Hey, Audrey."

"Lily."

__

"Not the greatest opening line," Lily thought. Now she was even more nervous, she hoped she had the guts to follow through. "Nice drawing."

Audrey still didn't look up. "Thanks, I suddenly got an inspiration to do perspectives. I was also endowed with a surprise gift of fresh supplies from Travis." She deftly flipped her obviously new sketchbook to the first page. Lily immediately recognized Travis' writing. Audrey continued, "Seems he wants to clean the slate. Great symbolism, don't you think?" She finally looked up at Lily.

"Funny, that's why I'm here, too." She held out a terra cotta pot that was filled with sharpened watercolor pencils. "For a fresh start, bright and hopeful future?" As Audrey studied her, Lily suddenly knew how boys must feel asking girls out. Audrey's gaze was cool and somewhat calculating. Finally, she gracefully took the gift, set it beside her on the steps, and commented, "You and Travis think alike, I can see why he was led astray." She plucked a pencil, and began some simple shading.

Lily decided that was as close as she was going to get to an invitation to sit down; she took a seat on the steps carefully obeying the "personal space" rule. She began carefully, "I heard you on RFR … you do deserve better. I can't change what happened but I can be responsible for my actions. I hurt you and I'm truly sorry for that. I'd still like to be your friend, if you'd let me. I understand completely if you don't, I just wanted to apologize properly."

Audrey carefully chose another color from the bouquet, "You know the great thing about perspectives? Everything gets smaller the farther away it is, still there, but not so significant as to affect the immediate surroundings." She glanced at Lily with a small smile.

Lily got up and brushed off her pants. "Audrey?" When the girl looked up at her Lily could see a good friend; the type of friend she should have been. "Thanks."

Audrey's look turned slightly vulnerable and her voice was soft, "Don't do it again, Lil." Lily nodded and as she walked away she heard Audrey's call. "You know, Lily, summer is here. You know what that means?"

Lily didn't miss a beat as both girls spoke in unison, "Sandalpalooza!" Audrey followed their outburst with a girlish laugh. "See you at the malls, Lily Randall!" For the first time in a couple of months Lily felt lighter.

~~~~~~~~~

When she arrived home, she found Ray sitting on her steps fidgeting with the huge bow of a brightly wrapped package. He looked different somehow and it took a moment for her to realize that this was not the mussed-up after-school version of Ray she was used to. He had cleaned up, combed his hair, and was currently about to put his left leg through a step with its constant bouncing. He had not noticed her approach due to his constant fuss over the present.

"Oooo, I get two birthdays this year?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. "Hey, Lily, just waiting here for you, where have you been?"

"Just talking with a friend. What's with the package?"

"It's for you." He slid over so she could sit next to him and handed her the gift. "You'll understand when you open it. At least I hope you do." She shook her head slightly with a bemused smile and began to unwrap it. She had to stop midway through to place her hand firmly on Ray's bobbing knee. He grinned apologetically. She lifted the lid to reveal a handsome leather photo album. This was a very unusual gift coming from Ray and she looked over at him with her eyebrows raised. He simply gestured with his hand for her to open it.

She turned to the first page to see two filthy but grinning toddlers standing in what could only be described as a mud pit. One was a tow-headed pigtailed girl and the other a small boy with an unruly mop of dark hair. Under it written in neat letters was "First Friend." The next page's photo was of them, slightly older, crying, mouths wide open, eyes screwed shut. Lily's mom was behind them expertly cutting out chunks of bubble gum from their hair. Beneath it read, "First Haircut." Each one held a special "first" or just a funny notation in Ray's handwriting about that particular memory. She turned another page to see a scrawny Ray dutifully applying playing cards to the spokes of her shiny new bike. Beneath it read, "First Cool Ride."

She smiled at Ray, "This is wonderful, but what is it for?"

He replied with a grin, "Keep going."

She saw tributes to their sleepovers, first scary movie, school plays and school dances, and a picture of Lily strumming her first guitar with Ray behind her plugging his ears comically. She came to a page that held quite a bit of Ray's handwriting. It was only a couple of years ago and it was from his days of playing summer league ball. He had just hit the game winning home run. The first he had ever hit out of the field and Lily had rushed to him, hugging him tightly. The rest of the team was obviously about to engulf them but somehow Lily had gotten there first. Ray's writing beneath it touched her. It read, "This was the moment that I knew no matter what you would be my friend forever. Dozens of boys were watching me get smothered by a girl, which at this age was still uncool, and I didn't care. I was so happy to share my proudest moment with you."

She looked to him again; she could feel her eyes stinging with happy tears. The grin was softer but the look in his eyes was serious. "Keep going."

She passed a few more moments when she came to some pages that had no photos but had inscriptions. One page held "First Date," then "First Double Date"; another had "First Romantic Picnic." She stopped at the one that read "First Slow Dance as a Couple." She finally understood what this book was about and was now suddenly as nervous as Ray had been. He seemed strangely calm now. She looked at him, "Ray?"

"Lily the best moments of my life have been with you. I know I should have said something sooner but how do you risk a friendship like this? I realize now the risk I took by not doing anything. I care about you, Lily. A lot. Every couple has those "Firsts." Lily, I'd be honored if we could fill these pages with even more wonderful firsts, like we've always done." The look on his face tore at her heart; she knew when Ray Brennan really wanted something. She was incredibly flattered that it was her. Did she really want to risk this friendship like this?

She remembered the girlish butterflies in her stomach when he had been with Veronica. She knew she had feelings for Ray but were they as strong as his appeared to be? Was the foursome strong enough to handle this change? She remembered the song Travis had played, it had mentioned "life was for livin." She decided to "live" a little and take a chance on Ray.

Lily hadn't realized how long her thought process had taken because Ray looked like he was about to backtrack and apologize. She grabbed his knee once again. "Ray?"

"Yeah, Lily?"

She began to lean toward him and her voice lowered an octave, "Hope you've got plenty of film." He surprised her by jumping up like an excitable puppy and ran towards his backpack that had been neglected by the door.

"Are you kidding me? I've got digital, baby!" He powered up the device.

She laughed heartily. Only Ray. She rose to stand next to him. "Give me that, you idiot." She snatched the camera from him, and held it at arm's length. "Ready Ray?" The moment sobered them both. His voice was smooth, "and waiting." She closed her eyes and recalled a memory of holding hands with him and jumping off a cliff into a cool deep lake. This felt oddly similar. She barely remembered to press the button on the camera as his lips touched hers. The flash went off and another "first" was documented.

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Okay, so who is screaming and who is jumping for joy? Coming up…How does Travis react to this change? How does Lily feel about crossing the "friendship" line with Ray? Time speeds up even faster next chapter, at least I think so.


	6. Stuck in the Middle

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR, I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, they truly do encourage me. J O.K. anybody ready for a little TRILY? Not that much, you know, kind of like that frustrated anticipation you get after opening those old-fashioned glass bottles of ketchup. And NO, just like the ketchup beating it out of me won't make it happen any faster. J Ready to time travel? Check your flux-capacitors and set the date to…sophomore year!

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Because I Know You 

Chapter Six: Stuck in the Middle

For Travis, time had never moved more slowly. He had known Ray was going to make his move; he had practically pushed Ray to do it. Intellectually, he knew Lily would accept, especially after he had pushed her away, but his heart suffered anyway. When he had first seen them together he'd nearly lost it. He was completely surprised by the emotions that ran through him: anger, hurt, envy, and such an all-encompassing sadness that he'd wondered how he would survive.

He spent the summer in the studio either organizing or mixing tracks. He recorded some of his own mixes simply because he'd never done it before. He also traveled frequently with his parents; the less time he spent wallowing in negativity, the better off he would be. All that moving about helped him to focus inward, to be more centered. He'd returned to Roscoe determined to be the friend he'd set out to be.

He'd even helped Lily produce a second single, although this time he included Ray and Robbie in the process. It actually turned out better than the first. Ray had a pretty decent ear and gave vital information on what he thought "the people" would like. Robbie had hidden talents in producing graphic arts and photo manipulation. Lily's CD cover was not just a picture but an amazing compilation of color, script, and photography. Travis had never been more glad that the foursome's friendship had survived.

There was only one unfortunate drawback. His feelings for Lily had never wavered. Her relationship with Ray had brought out her softer side. She'd even brought him "homemade" soup when he'd gotten sick. At least it was her version of homemade. "Travis, I brought the can from home, then I made it." He treasured that memory. She'd brought him soup, tissues, and a newly released anime DVD. The best part had been that she stayed to watch; he spent two glorious hours with just Lily, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him.

He realized how much he'd let his resolve slip when Ray stopped by his locker one afternoon.

"Yo, Swami!"

He continued to adjust the belongings in his locker to find the correct books for his next class. "What's up, Ray?"

Ray smiled brilliantly. Travis absentmindedly thought that Ray had a career either in television or as a spokesperson for whitening toothpaste. Ray continued jovially, "Just wanted to say hello. You know, share a little quality time with my talented brethren."

Travis smirked, "What do you want, Ray?"

Ray shook his head, "Swami, it's just plain eerie when you do that." He shifted his weight. "I need your help. I want to do something really special for Lily this Valentine's Day. You know, the perfect pitch."

At those words, Travis froze. He'd felt thrown back in time to that day in the studio. When he finally turned around Ray seemed oblivious to the tension. He hoped his voice did not betray him. "What did you have in mind?" Ray filled him in and Travis agreed to help. It really was a brilliant idea. Lily was going to love it. He was ashamed of his jealousy, but he would put his best into it. For Lily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The summer had flown by for Lily, as had the first part of her sophomore year. Her fear in losing Ray's friendship had been unfounded. On the other hand, the romance didn't seem much different. Granted, she was not the one to ask when it came to undying passion but she thought her emotions would have differed somehow, perhaps intensified. She was enjoying the frequent transgression of conduct parameters and the confidence those physical explorations gave her, but her feelings for Ray did not seem to increase accordingly. This worried her; she was somewhat ashamed to admit that if she were to complete a pro/con list, one of her main reasons for being with Ray was the sense of relief. Relief that she did not have to bother with looking for "someone." Relief that the "firsts" Ray had mentioned could be shared with someone she trusted with her life. She would never embarrass herself with Ray.

Ray's response to the change surprised her too. She had become accustomed to being the center of his universe. He relaxed somewhat after they'd dated for a few months. He still seemed to want to impress "the girls." He never outright flirted with anyone but he would instigate and prolong any behavior that would allow him to bask in their limelight. Perhaps even more odd was that this did not make her jealous. She'd remembered Ray saying he needed someone who would "fight" for him. What did it say about their "fairytale love" if neither of them felt that attachment?

Maybe she could slyly convince Robbie to do a show about "love" on RFR. He seemed to have his fair share of crushes, namely one elusive Cougar Radio DJ. She thought he might like some insight as well about how to tell if you are really in love. None of their close friends had been in lasting relationships so she had to cast about for unbiased information. Of course, she could always ask her mother, but that had repercussions she did not want to own up to just yet.

She looked at herself in the mirror, pleased with the results. She had actually curled her hair into those loose tumbling wild waves that were all the rage in the shampoo ads. She hoped Ray appreciated it because she was never doing it again. Her lack of experience with a curling iron had left her with a couple of burns on her playing hand. Whoever thought of styling hair by wrapping it around a molten hot metal rod was a sadomasochist.

Ray had hinted at big surprises for Valentine's Day. Her gift for him left her feeling somewhat nervous after Ray's big buildup regarding his gift for her. She had taken a digital picture of him, scanned it, and had the local copy shop put it on a cardboard backing. Audrey helped her draw different uniforms and outfits for it, which she'd also taken to the shop and copied onto glossy paper then carefully cutout. He could be a baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays or a quarterback for the New York Giants. Her personal favorite was the extreme outfit of an Olympic skier, funky aerodynamic helmet included. She had a funny feeling that her gift was not "romantic" enough, but that just led her back to the imbalance of emotions between herself and Ray. She decided to just enjoy tonight and worry later.

She arrived at Mickey's only five minutes late. Ray was sitting on one of the sofas holding another boldly wrapped and very large package. He definitely subscribed to the "bigger is better" theory. His knee was bobbing nervously just as it had the day he gave her the "Book of Firsts." She smiled nostalgically as she approached, "Hey Ray. Happy Valentine's Day!" He rose to greet her and his mouth fell open as he took in her appearance.

"Wow! Lily, you look fantastic!"

She felt relieved that her efforts weren't for nothing. "Thanks. Um, you can close your mouth now Ray. Molars are not attractive." He smiled at her jab.

He kissed her sweetly. "Can't help it, Lily, you really look amazing tonight. So what'll it be? Gifts or food?"

"You don't waste time do you? Let's eat first, you know, save the best for last?"

He grinned boyishly, "Have you been peeking? You know, it is the best, Lily, if I do say so myself."

They spent the next hour sharing a pleasant meal and Lily was beginning to wonder what she had been concerned about. She really enjoyed being with Ray why overanalyze it?

"Present time!" he announced.

They moved to the nearest sofa and she asked, "Who's first?" She shouldn't have been surprised when he shouted, "Me! Me!" He opened his gift and genuinely liked it. She had to clear her throat to get him to quit fiddling with all the shiny uniforms. He looked confused until he realized she was waiting, "What? … Oh! Here it is, Lil, you're gonna love it!"

She opened the box and pulled away the protective tissue. Inside were her CD's professionally framed to look like those awards given to artists whose work had gone Gold or Platinum. She was moved. He had taken her accomplishments and showcased them handsomely. She reached for him and kissed him soundly. He pulled back, "That's not all, Lil." She looked again in the box after removing the frame. It was a cover letter for a demo … her demo. He had prepared a respectable package to go out to recording labels. There was also a list of all the places it would be sent. She was astounded. Ray did this? By himself? She didn't think so.

Ray interrupted her thoughts, "All it needs is your approval and signature and the world is yours."

She looked again at the contents. Ray, while smart and witty, was not capable of such articulate writing. This had "Travis" written all over it. Who else would know the correct way to frame the CD and the contacts for the recording labels? She blushed, thinking of how much effort he had put into a gift for her even if she was receiving it from Ray. "Thanks, Ray. It's really wonderful. Do you mind if I wait on signing this? I don't know if I'm quite ready to be a superstar. I really appreciate the support you've always shown me."

"No problem. It's the best, isn't it? You love it?" He was nodding his head emphatically.

"I love it, Ray, I really do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next night she was actually spending alone. She had intended to clean out her closet but ended up daydreaming on her bed, staring at the framed CDs. Her thoughts would float from scenario to scenario. Rock star. Songwriter. Grammy winner. As she was leafing through all the contents again she began to notice something. Her first single's cover had listed Travis Strong as producer. All of the information in her demo packet left out that vital statistic: the letter, the demo, even the newly minted copies of both singles. She bolted upright, "What the…." She rifled through her desk until she found exactly what she wanted, fuming as she punched up an online address on her PC. A few minutes later the printer whirred and she almost ripped the paper when it appeared in the out tray. She grabbed her jacket and flew out of the house, intent on maintaining her anger until she got there. She knew he would be there, he was always there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Travis was once again, mixing his tracks, cleaning them up or making the tempo faster or slower. Travis was caught off guard and jumped out of his skin when the studio door was flung with such force that it clanged against the outside of the building. Lily stormed inside, "Travis, what is this?" She held out the demo packet, shaking it fiercely.

"Oh. You don't like it? I thought it was a great idea, Ray asked me to help him."

Lily fired back at him. "You know damn well I like it. I love it. There is just one teensy problem."

He flushed hotly at her statement. He chastised himself. _She loved the gift, you idiot, the gift Ray gave her, not you_. He calmly responded, "What exactly is the matter with it, Lily?"

"Your name, Travis!"

"Pardon?"

"Your name is no where on this information. WE worked on this together, Travis! Or are you ashamed of it now?"

Wow, he wasn't expecting that. "It's your accomplishment, Lily. I don't need any glory."

She was stalking him now. Tiny but determined steps brought her directly in front of him. "Yeah, yeah, I remember, no personal glory, no monetary gains. But I've got your number Travis. Here."

She thrust the paper from her printer at him. "What's this?"

"Your half of the money." He was about to interrupt her again so she pushed him down into the nearest chair. Her hand was on his chest, directly above his heart. "That, my dear Travis, is an investment in your beloved karma. An online donation was made in your name to the local charity that purchases musical instruments for children whose parents can't afford them. Change the information Travis. Or I'm not signing the letter."

She left in as big a flurry as she had arrived. He sat stunned for a moment, fiddling with the paper. He looked at it. It truly was an official receipt. He smiled widely. Lily really did know him and it felt fantastic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few weeks passed as they always did. Lily was still dating Ray, Kim was still blowing off Robbie, and Travis was still spending his free hours in the studio. He had dutifully corrected the demo packet and returned his name to the credits. His emotions were starting to get the better of him lately, though. He spent even more time meditating, trying to suppress his desire and attachment. He had not realized that his "noble" action of so long ago could continue to cause him pain. Then again he hadn't thought he would fall in love with Lily either. He had finally admitted that to himself, he just couldn't do anything about it. _Back to square one_, he thought.

On a blustery afternoon, Lily and Travis had to do the RFR show alone. Robbie and Ray had fallen victim to Waller's wrath; they were currently warming seats in detention. They had both decided to start wearing suits and ties and in an absurdly funny imitation of Waller. Well, the student body thought it was funny and Waller did not buy the "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" bull.

The show was mostly music oriented, with Lily showing increasing skill with her guitar. Amazingly enough, neither one of them was uncomfortable in the other's presence. After the show, Travis asked, "So did you sign the cover letter, your ticket to fame and fortune?"

She smiled slightly, "Actually, no, I am going to send out the demo but not to all the recording labels. Not at this time anyway."

He stopped what he was doing to focus on her. "So what did you do with it then?"

"Well, I intend to send it to the Julliard School of Music. They have a pre-college prepatory program. I'll still have to audition."

Travis was silent for a while. "So if you're accepted that means you'll be moving away to New York?"

She stopped fiddling with her guitar case, "Yeah, well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. No need to stress over it. I haven't told Ray yet. As excited as he was about the gift he seems to have forgotten about it."

Travis wondered if Ray ever truly understood the enormity of the gift that he had given to Lily. Music was her foundation, the thing she measured all her experiences and emotions with.

Travis touched her arm, "Well, I hope everything turns out the way you want it to."

Her voice was wistful as she gather her things, "Me too." She walked to the door. "You coming? It looks kind of wicked out here, the wind has really picked up, it's now or never."

Travis followed her out, his footsteps keeping time to Lily's last phrase as he repeated it in his head. Now or never. Now or never. Now or never. He knew she had the talent to get into that program and she would be leaving Roscoe. How odd, he always thought he would be the first of the four to leave.

As they were walking, they noticed the clouds had moved in quickly and began to pick up their pace hoping to outrun the storm.

Lily took note; "It looks like the bottom's going to fall…" Just then the rain fell in sheets. Travis finished her sentence, "out…. Run! That building over there has a large overhang!"

They both reached the building still somewhat dry. The eave wasn't much protection and if the wind blew just right they would get wet anyway. Travis noticed Lily shiver and moved to stand directly in front of her hoping to shield her from the rain. When they were eye to eye, nose to nose, they both noticed that Lily was slightly taller. They burst out laughing. All he was going to accomplish was getting his backside soggy.

He shifted back to stand along side of her. "If I were a lesser man, my ego might be bruised. When did you get so tall?"

She was still laughing, "Good genes, I guess. Girls grow faster you know."

Travis was enjoying her company even in such a miserable setting, "I think that is only during elementary years."

She deadpanned, "Well then, you're screwed."

The laughter was raucous then. It felt wonderful. Lily's finally died down as the rain lightened up. She flattened herself against the building and leaned her head back, "Oh that felt good! I'm so glad this year everything is back to normal. RFR is running stronger than ever, I'm with Ray, and you're not attracted to me anymore. All that drama was overwhelming."

Travis was slightly surprised by that statement. He rolled onto his shoulder to face her, the sheet metal of the building popping under his weight. "Lily, That's not true." Her head whipped quickly around sending wet strands of hair across her face. His determination to suppress his longing evaporated with the rain. His hand rose as he gently traced his fingers along her cheeks to sweep one strand aside, then down to her jawline as he lifted another away. "You will never be anything but beautiful to me."

Her heart raced, "Why?"

His eyes dropped to her lips, parted slightly in shock, his fingers traced her lower lip and he gently removed the last stray strands. "Because I know you."

Lily was in shock. Travis' touch unraveled her completely. She wanted so badly for him to follow through. Her eyes roamed his face, his eyebrows drawn down tightly as if he was studying a physics problem. His eyes darted to meet hers and then down to her lips, his mouth parted slightly and as he moved forward Lily sighed. Their breath mingled, actually visible from the drastic shift in temperatures brought by the storm. Just as their lips brushed Lily heard a voice in her head. It was Audrey's…"_Don't do it again, Lil_." She pulled back slightly. Travis still did not back away; he was not going to. This time it wasn't Travis who was attached. As she heard Audrey's vulnerable plea from her memory, she envisioned Ray. This time it was her. Confusion returned to her full force.

When she spoke she did not recognize her own voice, "The rain stopped."

It took a moment for Travis to realize that Lily spoke and that it was not an outpouring of returned affection. He backed away slowly. They stared at each other for several moments. He found the courage to speak along with his shame, "I'm so sorry, Lily."

She stared at him again; they were still so close. She whispered, "Are you…I'm not."

Travis did not get a chance to ask her why. Lily abruptly pulled away and began to jog in the direction of her house. He knew better than to follow.

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A/N: Did you like that TRILY treat? Would you like another TRILY treat? O.K. then … siiiit. Good now, tyyype. Now…..REVIEW! Goood Readers!


	7. Signed Sealed Delivered

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR, I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

****

A/N: Wow! Those were some reviews! I bow to you all graciously. Now about this story, Julliard School of Music does have a pre-college program but it only accepts orchestra instruments. Repeat after me: _I suspend any knowledge of Julliard regulations for the purpose of plot advancement_! Bravo, dear readers! Ain't fiction great? A note to Slayer2003 who brings up a very valid character point about Travis' actions. Other than his parents, Travis has never really been around anyone long enough to be able to categorize and deal with strong emotional attachment. His weakened resolve to be noble is part of the lack of experience. Then again, it could be the lust thing, eh?

Because I Know You 

Chapter Seven: Signed Sealed Delivered

Lily was currently sitting in a darkened theater trying to pay attention to another mindless sequel of a played out horror movie franchise. And yet somehow people were still screaming at the supposedly "unexpected" attacks. Even Ray. She wanted to talk to him, she needed to talk to him and yet here she was in one of the few places where a meaningful relationshippy conversation would only produce angry glares and some very aggressive "Shhhhh's." She looked over at Ray. She smiled at the image he portrayed. He was cowering down in his seat but trying to cop it off as a macho slouch. Ah, the benefits of being a girl, it was O.K. for us to be frightened. "I am woman, hear me scream!"

She and Travis had never brought up the incident in the rain. There was tension but only between the two of them, this time Robbie and Ray did not know. Mostly, Travis simply avoided being alone with her, which was good, considering she didn't know if she could pull away from him again. The demo packet was burning a hole in her pack. She had signed the letter. She needed to tell Ray, to explain to him why this was important to her. Certainly, he understood when he prepared all of this that it would eventually mean her departure. Record companies don't usually go to the talent; the talent goes to them, assuming anyone thought she had talent. At least Julliard was closer than L.A.

Her mind wandered once again to Travis. He understood what mailing this letter could mean for her future. He had enough faith in her ability to include the major recording labels as well as the independent ones. That touched her deeply. And he was attracted to her, very attracted; and by the way her body had responded it was mutual. She wondered why she never felt like that with Ray. Her body had never just taken over while kissing Ray. She hadn't really understood the phrase "womanly response" until Travis had touched her. Once her class had taken a field trip to a planetarium but the thermostat was broken and the A/C had run through the entire presentation. She had never been so cold in her life. When they finally stepped outside, the heat hit her; her skin tingled and heat coursed through her body in a wonderful thaw. That is what Travis' touch had done to her. But was that love? Surely it had to be a part of it, just as much as companionship.

She looked over at her companion once again. Did she love Ray? Of course, he was her best friend. Was she in love with him? She had no idea, which is what she wanted to talk to Ray about. She wanted to feel out his real emotions. They hardly ever talked about what they felt for each other. That had to be a constant subject with other couples. A piercing shriek interrupted her internal debate. She looked over at Ray who was grinning sheepishly. She returned his smile thinking to herself, _"Be afraid, Ray, be very afraid. Tonight you will have to **talk** with your girlfriend."_

While they were walking home, Lily drudged up enough courage to force this issue, "Ray, we need to talk."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Lily, in the entire history of human courtship, that phrase has never led to anything good."

"Do you love me, Ray?"

His relief was instantaneous. He huffed, "Is that all this is? Of course, I do, Lily. You know that."

His declaration did not ease her confusion, "Do I? We never really talk about this kind of thing and saying it at the end of a date or a phone conversation doesn't count."

He shuffled his feet, "I don't know what you want, Lily. We've known each other for years. I think I've always loved you."

She wondered how she could get her point across if she didn't completely understand it herself. "That's right Ray. And I have loved you. But don't you think it should feel different now? Now that we've been in a "relationship?" Do you realize that you still need the adoration of the female population, that my attentions alone do not seem to be enough? Don't you wonder why?"

His expression changed from confusion to a sly grin, "Oh, I get it. You're jealous. No need to worry, Lil, you're always gonna be my girl."

Lily's eyes widened. "Ray, you don't get it at all."

He actually got a little angry then. "Lily, you are not making any sense."

"You want to know what I think, Ray? I think we are both scared. Scared to let go of this thing we started for fear of losing what we had before. We're stuck in the middle."

He was silent. Ray Brennan was speechless. _Great_, Lily thought, _Where's that friggin' camera, this is another "First_."

She could tell now that he was trying to control his emotion, which is exactly what she was trying to avoid. He spoke softly, "What do you want, Lily?"

Now she was at a loss, she hadn't really figured that part out yet. "I don't know, Ray. I think I just need some time to think. I'm just gonna walk home now."

Ray started to step up next to her but her look stopped him. As she walked away he wondered if this was the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She hadn't walked home; actually, she was wandering aimlessly, which fit her mood perfectly. The sky was clear and the breeze was warm, the stars so bright that they seemed to expand the longer she stared at them. The only thing she absolutely knew for sure about her future was that it involved music. She reached into her pack and pulled out the packet. Its weight mocked her, _"heavy decision, eh?" _She spied a postal box on the nearest corner and walked resolutely toward it. She pulled its handle and cringed at the un-oiled squeal it let out. She pushed the packet through the darkened portal, holding on for one moment longer, before opening her hand wide and letting it drop.

She let out the breath she was holding. For the first time she noticed her surroundings, she was near the park. Suddenly she felt like swinging. As she neared the play equipment she spied a very familiar shape. Travis. He was meditating at the end of the seesaw.

"Meditate here often?"

He opened one eye to look up at her. "Believe it or not, yes." She walked around to the other side and straddled it as Travis mimicked her actions on his end. He smiled inwardly. That was Lily, she didn't care what people thought and she trusted others to do the same. They began the rhythmic and elementary motions, shifting the conversation with each change in balance.

"I mailed the demo."

This did not surprise him, "Does Ray know?"

"Nope."

That did. "When are you going to tell him?"

"If I get accepted, I guess. No need to freak him out." To herself, she thought, _Too late for that._

Travis was silent for a couple of moments. "Another bridge to cross."

"Yeah."

They pushed each other into the night air for a few minutes. The popping noises and the motion of the seesaw was soothing.

Lily spoke, "I'm sorry I ran off that day, Travis."

He smiled sadly as they fell back into rhythm again. "Ah, yet another bridge."

She smiled softly, "That's all I'm sorry for, I am NOT sorry it happened, I just don't know what it means."

"Yes, I know."

Her eyebrows raised, "How?"

"It seems our roles have reversed, Lily Randall, or have you forgotten the circumstances of our last kiss?"

Lily thought he had never looked wiser. He repeated his previous question but with a different meaning.

"Does Ray know?"

The pitch in her voice matched her frustration. "Travis, I just don't know what to do about anything! I only mailed the packet because music is the one thing I'm sure of."

His voice was low and comforting, "You'll do what is best for you and it will be fine."

"How can you know that, Travis?"

Their motion stopped and he waited till her feet were firmly planted on the ground. "Because I know you, Lily." His gaze was just as intense as that day in the rain. He swung off the seesaw easily and came up to her. He reached out both hands and grasped her face softly, his left thumb grazing her sensitive ear. His voice was even lower, "Tell Ray." With gentle pressure he guided her head down and she felt him place a kiss on the top of her head. "Goodnight, Lily."

She watched him walk away wondering whether he was referring to the demo or the kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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A/N: Further adventures in pleading for feedback, aka begging.

"_Warp 3 Scottie."_

"I'm givin her all she's got, Cap'n, She just won't moove."

"We seem to be in some sort of stasis, Sir"

Kirk looked back at his crew, "Uhura, send out sonar, let's get a feel for this (dramatic pause) thing."

As the computer buzzed the overhead screen pixeled out to reveal their ship in some type of cubed shape.

"Bones, what's that?"

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, how the hell should I know?"

"Spock"

"It appears to be Writer's Block, sir." Just then a very loud but rhythmic noise erupted inside the bridge which incidentally always leans to the left when the ship is attacked. Everyone leans in terror to the left except the idiot red shirt actor who doesn't know left from right.

"SQEEEEOOOOOORRRKK!" "SQEEEEOOOOOORRRKK!" 

"I think it's haling us, Sir."

"Computer, translate."

The noise was deafening….

"REVIEW!" "REVIEW!"

"Spock, what does that mean?"

"I do believe, Captain, that it is a request for feedback."

At the blank stares he continued, "The return of evaluative and/or corrective information about an action or process to its original point of origin."

Scottie could no longer contain his fear, "Good Lord Cap'n those are more rare and precious than dylithium crystals! We're dooomed."

****

I know, I know, I'm a geek, a shameless geek.


	8. Crossing Bridges

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR, I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

****

A/N: What can I say, it's raining here and I can sit and type for lack of anything better to do. Rily is out of the picture now so rest easy; however is anything in life ever easy?

Because I Know You 

Chapter Eight: Bridges Crossed

Lily was not surprised to find Ray waiting for her on her steps. This time there were no presents and Ray's lack of nervous energy clued her in to the type of conversation they were about to have. His hands were dangling loosely between his legs and his gaze was somewhere off to Lily's left, distant and non-seeing. She was quiet as she moved to sit next to him. A few more moments passed in silence so she gently nudged his knee with hers. He had come here to say something; she wanted him to come out with it.

"You were right, Lily."

She could have been flippant but this was not the time. She spoke very softly, "What about, Ray?"

He turned to look at her. It tore at her heart to see Ray looking so hurt and sad. "I **am** scared, Lily. We've been friends forever and you grew into this beautiful person. I thought the only way we'd stay close was to move forward or else some Prince Charming would come and whisk you away. Didn't really work out like I thought, huh?"

She shook her head slowly, tears forming in her eyes. _This is it_, she thought. Ray looked down at his feet and took a deep shaky breath. When he looked back at her, he had tears in his eyes as well. "Lily, I want to break up."

As she let out her response, a very shaky "O.K," Ray's tears fell. He swiped at them, angered by his weakness. Lily's tears fell as well. _Dear God, _she thought, _This dear sweet boy is doing this for me despite his fear of losing our friendship. _She grabbed him, wrapping her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. Through her tears she told him, "I will **never ever** let our friendship go, Ray. We will **always** be friends… best friends."

He held on to her just as tightly for a full minute. When it appeared she wasn't going to release him he spoke, "I believe you, Lil." She pulled away and he joked with her, rubbing his ribs comically, "Wow, girl, you are freakishly strong." She smiled and ducked her head to wipe away her tears.

They resumed their positions side by side on the steps. "You know, Lil, you really are good at that softer landing thing, maybe you should write a book?"

She huffed at that. She did always seem to be getting dumped even if it was what she wanted.

"Yeah, well, maybe so."

He seemed hesitant to ask her something. She bumped his shoulder with hers and it popped out of him. "So, Lily, you got some Prince waiting in the wings?"

She knew he was asking if it was Travis. She wasn't sure of that herself and even if she was, she wouldn't kick Ray while he was down. She could tease him a little though. "Yeah, yeah I do."

Ray's head whipped around. His voice controlled and tight, "What's his name?"

"Julliard."

The look on his face was priceless and Lily couldn't help but laugh. Through his confusion he asked, "Kind of geeky, isn't it?"

So she spent the next half-hour sitting in the evening breeze telling her best friend about her dreams, her hope for the future. She finally wound down and the silence was now comforting.

"Lily?"

"Yeah, Ray?"

"You're gonna be great."

"Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Ray left, Lily wandered to her back yard. She looked up at her Gigantuous Twee. It had been here a long time, she was hardly a blip on its radar. She went to sit under it's outstretched limbs once again, at it's front this time. She leaned back against the roughened bark and looked up trying to pinpoint the stars through the mass of swaying leaves and curving branches. She closed her eyes and sighed.

To her surprise she received a response, a familiar voice said, "Meditate here often?"

She looked up to see Travis, surprised to see him again so soon after their little play date in the park. Two intimate conversations in one night was going against their usual habit of avoidance. She answered with a small quirky smile, "Believe it or not, yes." He sat down next to her, shoulder to shoulder, much as Ray had about a year ago. _Life moves in weird little cycles,_ she theorized. "You guys keep following me home, I'm gonna want to keep one of you."

"I thought you could use a friend."

She let out an unladylike snort, "I seem to have those in abundance. It's love that is elusive."

"You broke up with Ray."

"No, he broke up with me. It was another perfect execution of Lily Randall's Softer Landing Approach."

Travis simply nodded. "It's still going to hurt."

"Yeah it does. But not like it should."

He looked over at her as she continued to gaze skyward. "How so?" he prompted.

"It hurts me that he is hurting more than me." She shook her head, bemused by her lack of verbal skills.

Travis teased her softly, "You're jealous of his pain? Lily, I'm concerned for you." More seriously, he added, "No one likes to hurt a friend."

She sighed, "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let it go this far."

Travis gave a soft little humming noise. "And there is the real culprit…guilt. I'm well acquainted with it lately." Lily reached for his hand. He returned the gentle pressure and softly rubbed his thumb across her skin.

"At least I told him about mailing the demo tonight. Only one more bridge, I guess." She reveled in his presence; somehow he grounded her. "What a pair we make, huh, Travis?"

He looked down at their clasped hands and smiled. He thought i_f only_. Instead he said, "You're going to be O.K., Lily."

She looked up at him as he stood to go. "Why is it that most people ask me that question but you say it like it's a statement of fact? Wait, wait, I know what you're gonna say … because you know me."

That intense and penetrating look was going to be the end of her. "I don't know everything about you, Lily," He backed away slowly and just before he turned, "Not like I'd like to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Travis backtracked and had been circling the park; he had spent the last few revolutions scolding himself. _You're supposed to be her friend, not drag her down into your own little world of confusion_. He was honestly trying but every time he and Lily were alone, he wanted to touch her. It was as if he needed to assure himself that her beauty was real and tangible. She would be leaving soon. He could feel it.

His orbit of the park kept bringing him around to the postal box on the corner. He had heard its undignified squeal of protest just before Lily had appeared next to him by the seesaw earlier that evening. With each pass he would gently touch it, Lily's hopes and dreams were in this box. He had never been this attached to anyone before; his parents were always moving him around. It felt wonderful to have friends and find a certain someone who could recommend a movie or a CD because they knew him. Or someone who could make him feel better without having to meditate his way through it. It was an amazing feeling. He couldn't give in to it. He wouldn't, even though he had an idea that Lily wanted him to once again. She would be chasing her dreams and he knew what it felt like to leave when you really wanted to stay. He couldn't give her a reason to linger, no matter how much he wanted it.

He fingered the worn paper he had taken to carrying with him. Ray would scoff at him for having a "good luck charm." Ray. He felt guilt and anger at himself that he had continually forgotten the real reason for backing away. He had become quite the hypocrite lately. _There is no honor in betraying a friend_. The fact that Ray and Lily had broken up did not eradicate the betrayal he had hidden, the deeper feeling he harbored for Lily. He sighed; he couldn't change the past and once again reminded himself to let go of all of that. He pulled the paper out of his pocket. It was the donation receipt. He smiled as he recalled her name for it, "_an investment in his beloved karma_." He came upon the postal box again. Perhaps he needed to be brave like Lily, he needed to think forward and invest in his future. Focusing on his future should make it easier for him to stay on the right path. He decided to email his uncle in London when he got home. He had a demo now too. It gave him a little comfort to know that he and Lily would be focusing on the same thing: music.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summer arrived and in honor of Lily's probable departure for greener pastures the foursome decided to keep doing RFR daily. During summer breaks, the show usually had several hiatus to allow for vacations, visiting relatives, and just plain goofing off. This time they decided to maintain a daily routine and sometimes they would just stay on air for hours. Lily had Travis record their shows. If she was lucky enough to be accepted she could pop in a CD if she got lonely. Each of them sensed that this would be the last summer that there would be four DJ's. At the close of summer when it came time for Lily to go to New York for her audition they saw her off at her house.

Her heart was about to explode and she didn't think she would be able to speak for the thickness in her throat. It was hard enough saying goodbye to them all now knowing she would return. How could she do this if she was accepted, knowing she would probably not be back to Roscoe.

Robbie gave her a hug and a long distance card and told her to call into the show if she could and let the world know about her experience. She laughed, leave it to Robbie to turn it into a gripping reality show. Ray had given her a replica of her Valentine's Day gift. A little cardboard figure of herself with various costumes for music genres: country, pop, alternative, and even scarier…goth. He hugged her for a long time and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Travis simply gave her a kiss on the top of her head as she blushed. She knew he'd wanted her to remember their moments. He slipped her a worn piece of paper. It was the donation receipt and on it was Travis' neat script. It only had one line but it gripped her heart. "Thanks, for knowing me so well, Lily Randall." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. This did not sound like a wish for good luck, it sounded like a goodbye. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

****

A/N: If you are sitting at your PC cursing my existence for such an evil cliffhanger then I have done my job properly.


	9. Acceptance

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

****

A/N: O.K. so it was more of a blind curve than a massive cliffhanger. What can I say? I take in strays and release crickets into the wild. I am not a mean person. But you enjoyed it, No? Also, I do not know if Lily has ever attended a dance, as I haven't seen all the eps, if so, once again, suspend such knowledge and happily read on.

Special thanks to rokjai and archforge who regularly review and no, archforge, sadly I do not qualify as either Trekkie or Treker, I barely rate a Tr. I just have fond memories of watching that show when it was in frequent syndication runs. And I still love Shatner in anything he does.

Because I Know You 

Chapter Nine: Acceptance

Travis looked around his room wondering where to start. He had a little over two months before he would be leaving but he could at least box up items he would not be using in that time. His parents had usually waited until the last minute before informing him of the next transplant; he had never been on the front end of the preparations. He should have known one could not just pick up and leave for a foreign country so easily especially after the events in the States. Convincing his parents hadn't been as hard as he thought. They hadn't been thrilled that he would be dabbling in the music industry and were amazed that after all the times he had been uprooted that he himself wanted to pull up the stakes. He was still somewhat amazed by that himself but he told them he had gotten used to broadening his horizons living in many locations and they believed him.

It would be weird to live with his uncle. He wondered how long it had been since his parents had really talked to him. If they had, they probably wouldn't be allowing him to leave Roscoe. Bartholomew, a.k.a. Barty, Strong was part owner of a dance club in London and dabbled in introducing new talents to local recording labels. The newest talent usually meant some irregular personalities; at the very least it would be an interesting experience.

His uncle was as he put it, "tickled pink and polka dotted" that Travis was coming to stay, which is a very odd phrase coming from a middle aged man who stood at 6 foot 3 with well over 200 pounds of tattooed flesh. It left one questioning his orientation, not that there's anything wrong with that. Travis was looking forward to working with him in a state of the art recording studio. His heart gave a little twist knowing Lily would love to see it too.

The rational part of him kept nagging that he was jumping the gun but his heart knew that Lily was leaving; she would be accepted to the program. This way neither one of them was leaving the other behind; they were both just moving forward. He kept telling himself over and over that it was a positive thing. Even as he was thinking this he sat heavily on his bed, flung his legs up and let his head drop back against the wall with a loud thunk. He started repeating his latest mantra…_I must not long for Lily…I must not long for Lily_.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lily returned just before the start of school feeling both relieved and anxious at the same time. The nervousness she had felt about auditioning for such a prestigious slot was gone. It had gone rather well or maybe that was her imagination. She had proven skill with both the acoustic and her trusty electric guitar. They assured her that she would be using both but her studies in the structure of music would be done on the acoustic. Not much use for the whammy bar in a Julliard classroom she supposed. Now her anxiety was due in part to the waiting she would have to endure before receiving word of her acceptance or denial. It was to be expected.

The other reason for her anxiety rested in her pocket. She had developed a habit of keeping her hand closed around it, running her fingers back and forth along its folded edge. Her intuition was kicking in. Why would Travis have written such a thing, it was an odd little phrase. _"Thanks for knowing me so well." _She would not be relieved until she looked him in the eye.

Ray and Robbie had come to her house to welcome her home. Travis was suspiciously absent although he had emailed her twice to ask about the audition and to say he would be glad to see her Monday on the first day of school.

That day turned out to be a wild and hectic ride. She spent most of the morning gabbing with Audrey about all the shops she had been to. Ed and Ted were like gnats, she could not get rid of them nor convince them that Julliard really was not interested in "emerging boy band talent." Principle Waller had even embarrassed her in the lunchroom by announcing to all the students that Henry Roscoe High had sent forth an emissary, a shining example of the excellent education and moral upbringing that could be found in Roscoe. If he only knew that she was one fourth of the underground radio monkey he was striving to annihilate he probably wouldn't be so forthcoming with the compliments.

She didn't have a moment alone with Travis until they were walking to the RFR studio. She came along side of him and assumed his pace, the disintegrating gravel crunching under their feet in a grating cadence.

"I feel like I haven't spoken to you in forever."

He pondered that statement. They hadn't felt forever yet, this absence had only been a taste of what was to come. "Better get used to it, your time will be scarce when you are studying at Julliard."

She jostled his shoulder a little, like two companionable horses in a pasture. "Well, I haven't been accepted **yet** and someone once told me _Time is not so limited as one's ability to harness it_." He smiled as she threw his love of quotations back at him once again. He would miss her; she kept him on his toes. She got to her point with her next question.

"Why did you give this back to me?" She had pulled out the ragged receipt. "It's an odd way to wish some one good luck."

He struggled for a moment for the right thing to say. He didn't want to admit that he thought he would be in London when she returned. "It wasn't for luck, I have complete faith in your abilities."

"Then what was it for?"

He decided to tell her the meaning of it, if not the motivating circumstances. "I just wanted to thank my best friend. I wanted you to know how much it means to me that you took the effort to really understand me."

She absorbed that information then said softly, "It's me who should be thanking you. None of this would have been possible if I hadn't known you."

It stunned him to realize that he had played such a large part in her early departure from Roscoe. It was a bitter irony that the one person that had made him feel at home for the first time in his life would be leaving because he had pushed for her success, an accidental altruistic act on his part.

They arrived at the station and Lily paused briefly before going in, letting out a long sigh. "I'm gonna miss coming here. RFR allowed me to be more free, anonymity has its advantages."

Travis smiled softly, he wondered if she realized that she had spoken as if she'd known the outcome of her audition. Her sense of self and confidence was an inspiration to him.

He spoke from the heart, "Yes, it does. But I think it's time the world got to know Lily Randall, she's worth knowing."

Her smile was radiant and she took his arm as if entering a grand ballroom from times long ago, "Shall we?"

Ray and Robbie were already in their places awaiting countdown. Lily took her place and donned her headphones as Travis brought the equipment to life. "We're on in five…four…three…two", he simultaneously pointed to Robbie and mouthed the word "one."

Lily's eyes misted as the show began as it always had.

"This is Radio."

"Free."

"Roscoe."

"This is Question Mark and I'm wondering…" he looked at Lily with a sly expression "can any educational administration take credit for raw talent and personal ambition?"

Lily rolled her eyes and thought, _Here we go again._

The show gathered quite a few calls on the subject but then again Lily was constantly surprised by Robbie's uncanny ability to tap into the minds of the listening audience and find a short nerve. She looked around with pride. Of course Travis was there with his technical knowledge and words of wisdom. And Ray. Ray was the very heart of the people. He gave the listeners the feeling that they were right in the room with them. His open demeanor and biting humor giving the show just the right amount of levity required when tackling heavier subjects.

The show ended and Ray leaned back in his chair, testing the power of gravity against the tensile strength of the dilapidated chair. "So Lily, how do you plan to spend your last months in lowly ole Roscoe?"

She smiled, "As I always do, with just a little tweaking here and there."

Robbie cocked an eyebrow in her direction, "Tweaking? Is that even a word?"

Travis chimed in, "To alter, modify, or fine-tune."

Ray quipped, "What's gettin' tweaked?"

Lily held her head high, prepared for the scoffs that were about to be directed her way. "I, in all my years at the fine educational establishment known as Henry Roscoe High, have never attended one of its dances. Specifically, the up and coming Fall Festival."

Ray's tone was that of one speaking to a small child, "Lily, we don't do dances."

"Exactly my point. As an emissary of this school I believe I should have the total experience, including the infamous "high school dance." She looked around the group, "So are you with me or not?"

Robbie looked unsure, as if he was a toddler being asked to try asparagus. "Uh…what do you say Ray?"

Ray didn't miss a beat, "Whatever the lady wants, my man." He smiled at Lily; "I'll be there." He threw a wad of paper at Robbie. "And so will he." Robbie just sneered jovially at Ray.

Lily looked over her shoulder at Travis who was cleaning up his station, "And you?"

He smirked, "I would be honored to attend a social function with Roscoe's future musical ambassador."

She spun around in her chair, "Great! Cause I got the cutest little strappy sandals in New York. Oh, oh! And they had the best earrings…." All three boys closed their eyes in mock agony at having to endure anything "girlie." She waited until she had their attention. "Gotcha!" She ducked for cover as all three pelted her with anything handy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The time flew by so fast and the foursome stayed busy to burn off the nervous energy. They even pre-recorded some show segments so Shady Lane's departure from RFR would not coincide with Lily's, if indeed that came to be. Travis did not have the heart to tell Robbie that RFR would only be half of its usual self just after Saturday's Fall Festival dance. His flight out was the following Thursday. When asked who she was taking to the dance, Lily told them she was taking her best friends, all three of them. Robbie had even turned down Kim when much to his surprise she turned the tables and asked him out. The four friends were treasuring every moment, each show of RFR, sharing vanilla sodas at Mickey's and making bets with each other on who could find the most unusual CD placement in Mickey's original and quirky sorting system.

Friday, when Lily arrived home, her parents were waiting for her. Her dad's rigid posture and her mother's clasped and wringing hands signaled that the answer had arrived. The envelope was on the dining room table. She had a vague sense of being Indiana Jones about to pick up the obviously placed but dangerously booby-trapped treasure. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and picked up the envelope. It was rather large and quite thick. She had always heard _beware the skinny envelope for therein lies rejection_; her hopes rose. She looked back at her parents, they anxiously nodded and she ripped it open.

She was accepted. Accepted. Lily let it sink in. She was going to New York to study music. Lily Randall was now a student in the prepatory program for Julliard's School of Music. She turned to her parents. "I'm in!" Her father whooped and twirled her around as he had when she was a tiny girl. Her mother couldn't stop crying. After they settled down they read through the information together. She could start music instruction immediately if she could find a tutor for her other studies or she could wait for the following semester when a full academic slot became available. After much deliberation with her parents she decided to use the money that her singles had earned to pay for the tutor. She figured the more musical instruction she got the better she would be.

She went up to her room to email the guys. She knew Ray would be over as soon as he heard the news, her ever-faithful best friend of many years. She'd be leaving him next week. She'd be leaving all of them. She was determined to make this dance count. Everyone she knew and loved would be getting a hug and a dance from Lily Randall, including Ed and Ted, without them she would have failed Physics. Her mind drifted to Travis, she had no real way to thank him for all he had done for her. He had told her once to have no regrets. She only knew one thing. She was going to kiss him, no brush of the lips, or chaste experimental peck, a kiss to rival all kisses. Only then could she leave with no regrets.

****

A/N: Coming up. Aahh, a last dance, the last chance…for romance. Shoulda been a song. Mostly fluff but hopefully good fluff, a setup if you will; the best is yet to come. (Hopefully.)

And who else but me would require a special disclaimer for her author's notes? I don't own em folks, I'd give up anything if 1013 and Carter could bring em back.

Further adventures in the quest for feedback:

__

The room was eerily calm and strangely blue in the otherworldly glow emitted by the PC in the corner of the room. Two people rifled through the various belongings looking intently for something but for what they weren't sure.

The taller of the two, a lanky but handsome man, stopped by the computer, "Hey Scully."

"Yeah?" The petite redhead walked over to him; closer than partners in a government law enforcement agency had any right to.

"Take a look at this. She wrote stories."

"So? There are a lot of undiscovered writers out there."

"Lots and lots of stories. About TV shows. And books. And movies."

"It really is quite common, Mulder"

"Yeah, but where's the money in that?"

"Need I remind you that you are a lowly government employee." His expression of disgust relayed his concession of the argument.

"So why do they do it then?"

"For the recognition, the fifteen minutes of fame. Without feedback there would be no progress, no innovation. Feedback is vital to all areas of life, whether if be an intellectual opinion on the written word, our sense of taste and smell to discover potable drink and viable food, or our erogenous zones to further the age old miracle of procreation." She noticed his glazed expression and the fact that he was staring at her lips. "Are you listening to me, Mulder?"

"Let's do it, Scully!"

"Excuse me?"

"LET'S REVIEW!"


	10. Denial

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

****

A/N: Wow, M L Europe, you flatter me so. Pride huh? Thanks. And to twirlgirl04, I hadn't really thought about the similarity to Mulder/Scully but I guess so, only the personalities are more reversed. Travis is more like Scully except he actually believes in the little green, excuse me, gray men. Well this is it folks, this chapter will make me or break me.

Because I Know You 

Chapter Ten: Denial

Travis must have stared blankly at his computer for a good half-hour. The moment he had been expecting and dreading had arrived. Lily was going to New York. He was amazed at the fresh wave of abandonment that washed over him. He chastised himself, W_ho was it that bought a one-way ticket to London? _This did not feel like moving forward as he had schooled himself to believe. She was leaving next Friday; he would be en route to London then. He laughed bitterly; he hadn't known he had a competitive streak in him. Lily would not be the first to leave Roscoe after all; he would beat her by less than 24 hours.

They had a dance to look forward to. He would have to control himself. He had resolved not to let Lily know how much he cared. Lily would be leaving Roscoe with no more guilt and anxiety than necessary. Yet, he wanted to do something for her, let her know how much she meant to him, without tipping his hand about his deeper attachment. He fired off a quick response of congratulations to Lily and then moved to the bed to ponder a proper goodbye. He didn't think they had a category for his situation in any gift-giving guide. Not too many needed an "I love you, always have, but goodbye forever" gift. He scratched the thought of buying anything fairly quickly. Lily would know that wasn't his style. He would give her something of his, just as he had before, and she would know his meaning, just as she always did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She didn't know if she could do this. Tonight, she would be saying goodbye to a lot of people. She was leaving next Friday and would not be attending school next week so that she could pack up her belongings, her life really. And even though she knew she would see Ray, Robbie, and Travis again after tonight it still felt like this was their last adventure. She took a deep breath and checked her appearance. No dress, never a dress, but the sandals were definitely strappy. She smiled as she remembered the boys' expressions while enduring a detailed description of feminine accessories. She wore black satin slacks, trim neat hip huggers. The top was sage green with black details, sleeveless and somewhat shimmery. It had a mandarin collar for Far East look. Her hair was up but definitely not curled, in a twist with the last of it splayed out in spunky spikes. She could handle hair gel and hair spray to coax out beauty but not a molten metal messenger of pain no matter how fashionable curls were. She didn't bother doing anything more with her makeup. She wanted them to remember Lily; not some dressed up Lily-like version of her.

The doorbell rang and she scurried to get there before her mother did. She didn't want the waterworks to start early. She flung back the door and froze. There they were, her friends, her heroes. Robbie and Ray once again had donned their suits but nixed the ties, wearing their shirts with fashionably open collars. Handsome devils. Then there was Travis in a soft but impeccably tailored white linen shirt and black slacks bottomed out with two-tone loafers. Typical, he always walked the fine line between cutting edge and retro. Her eyes misted and she began to fan her face with both hands. "AH! I will not cry!"

Ray stepped forward and offered his arm, "Madam, your public awaits you."

She punched his arm softly and at his mock look of agony she latched on. "Let's roll, people."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They entered the dance and let their eyes take it all in. It wasn't exactly an RFR warehouse party. Robbie looked as if he was being forced to violate religious beliefs. "Uh, Lily, are you sure you want to do this?"

Travis mirrored his expression but slowly strode forward. "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." He looked back at the group with a sarcastic grin.

The music was very mainstream; simpering Pop 40 hits and the decorations bordered on the junior high level, paper streamers and all. Lily commented, "All that is missing is the vapid beauty queen basking in her own popularity."

Along came Kim Carlisle in a skin tight hot pink sheath dress and a halo of hair. _Well, there you go, _thought Lily, **_Now_** it's the full experience.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Fabulous Four. Oh wait, soon it will be the Trifling Trio. So you finally decided to attend a Roscoe function. A crash course in social manners I suppose?"

Lily looked to Travis and said dryly, "O.K. so she's not vapid." Travis ducked his head to hide his smile but Kim only cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

Ray jumped to the challenge, giving Kim the once over before responding. "Nice dress, Kim, and with all that hair you look like a Pez dispenser, an E-VIL Pez dispenser. Pull back the head and you get backhanded insults instead of candy."

Kim only stared icily at Ray for a moment before speaking to Robbie directly in a seductive tone, "Would you care to dance, McGrath?"

He looked horrified, "To this?" At her instant frown he backtracked. "No offense, Kim, but I have my pride. This music is…is…"

She interrupted him before he could come up with a suitable adjective. "I should have known you wouldn't like anything good. What do you have against it, anyway?"

All four of them looked out at the crowd, what little dancers were out there, looked like they were only moving their limbs as if shaking off numbness. Ray again pounced on the opportunity, putting on an overly upbeat expression. "Well, **Dick**, the lyrics suck and it has no beat. I give it a one."

Kim looked at him like he needed a pill and a white jacket with long sleeves that fastened in the back. She narrowed her eyes and walked off.

Robbie looked over at Ray smiling, "You know, for someone who claims to be a DJ, she has no clue about the history of music and broadcasting." His expression turned sly and calculating as he pulled a CD out of his inner coat pocket. "I've got an idea. I'll distract her, you guys go put on something a little more comfortable."

Ray hunched his shoulder and cackled, "Yesss!! Yess master."

Robbie effectively silenced Ms. Pez with a dance and a kiss. The other three committed Cougar mutiny and took command of the music station. Soon the entire throng of people was dancing blissfully to carefully selected tunes that were blended flawlessly together with a few of Travis' mixes. She had started with Ray who after a few minutes flew off into a wild tangent that left her looking for another target. Travis obliged her and later so did Robbie. Lily moved around the crowd and gave anyone she could claim to know a friendly hug, kiss, or pat on the arm. As she had danced with Ed, she could see Ted bouncing gleefully on his toes waiting his turn. So she whipped around, grabbed his arm and pulled him in too. It was a marvelous time, and not near as sad as she had thought. It felt more like a celebration. As it got later, people had torn down the streamers and were flaunting them around their necks like feather boas. All they needed were some cool light effects.

The music slowed and Lily had the feeling that time was running out. She had not done the one thing she was determined to accomplish tonight. She looked around for Travis but had no luck. She wandered out into the halls and found him leaning against one of the walls basking in moonlight from one of the few windows.

He heard her approach. "So your Roscoe experience is now complete, Ambassador Randall?"

She walked to him with purpose, "Not quite."

He pushed off from the wall and faced her, "Do tell, what could possibly be missing?"

Softly she replied, "This." She moved to kiss him and was stunned that he held her back yet again.

"Don't, Lily."

She was livid now. "Travis, I **know** I am not mistaken in the signals I've received! I am **not** that clueless! If you are so attracted to me then why the hell do you keep shoving me away?"

"Lily, you are about to go off and chase your dreams. This will only complicate matters. I know you'll regret it." His soft defeated tone only angered her more.

She said the one thing that she knew would hurt him. "You don't know me at all."

She moved forward intending to blow by him but just as she was about to pass his arm reached across her to stop her progress. His hand was cupped around her hip and his forearm stretched low across her abdomen. For one fleeting moment she felt his strength as he had tensed for impact. She stood stone still, barely breathing. His thumb brushed across her hipbone once…then twice…then she heard him.

"Lily." It was more of a pained release of emotion than a call for her attention.

She turned her head slowly; his head was lowered as if he was still denying the attraction. His hand moved from her hip, turning so that his knuckles brushed her bare midriff on its journey upward. His head turned slightly so that his cheek rested against hers as if he required her support. His hand rose torturously slow along her center pausing briefly at the hollow of her throat with another soft caress. Then it moved more deliberately to cup her face as his stance shifted. He kissed her then. One soft slow kiss as his thumb stroked her ear softly, followed by several open-mouthed frantic kisses as his other hand trailed up her spine to rest at the base of her neck.

It was then she knew. He had wanted this all along, from the first moment he had pushed her away so long ago, even as she dated Ray, and even as she prepared to leave. Her heart broke then and as a small sob escaped her he deepened the kiss. Her own hands moved to his hips if only to keep herself from falling. She relaxed; there was that wonderful thaw. His hand moved down to the small of her back and pulled her against him, the kiss becoming slower yet deeper and she felt his uneven breaths against her cheek.

She had to breathe; she pulled back and had to lean back further as he tried to recapture her mouth. "Travis."

He looked at her then. His eyes only confirming what she had felt in his touch. His thumbs gently brushed away the tears that had escaped her.

"Travis, why didn't you tell me?"

His eyes were glistening and he took a moment to compose himself. After a deep breath he said, "One does not cut the limbs of the tree that shades him."

"Ray?"

At his nod she continued, "And after that?"

He released her. "You were leaving Lily. I didn't want to make things harder."

"You didn't know that then."

"Yes I did."

She reached out and hugged him, then pulled back slightly to speak. "Well, it's not the end. I'll be back to Roscoe to visit." Oddly, he frowned and only nodded his head.

Just then they heard Ray searching the halls. Travis whispered, "We'd better go." She nodded and they turned back toward the dance, hands clasped together. Travis decided he was going to hold on as long as he could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**A/N: Man, after so many rewrites of this chapter, I gotta go find myself somebody to kiss! **

Disclaimer: These aren't mine either. Not as good as the previous, but hey, who can top Mulder and Scully? I loved Steve.

"That's IT! You found the third clue. You know what we gotta do now? That's right … the Thinking Chair."

"Hmmm, now what could Blue want us to do with a keyboard, some letters, and you."

"How about… you send a letter to Nickelodeon asking for a full season set DVD of Blues Clues instead of individually priced episodes?"

"NOOOOO!" Blue shakes head violently, "bow, bow bowww."

"Oh! Oh! I know…REVIEW!!!"


	11. Enlightenment

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: O.K. so how many of you read through that last chapter twice? And how many read through it twice and still did not review…Shame on you! For all those who did review, at any chapter…thank you, thank you, and thank you.

To Slayer2003, thanks so much for your understanding, my happy fingers increased the word count of this section so "IT" got bumped to the next. EVERYONE go read her story and review it! It's fabulous!

ML Europe: I found me one, did you?

Twirlgirl04: Duh! Somebody thwap me, I get the mental connection similarity now. Perhaps Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper share that also. Ha!

Obsessed with this Fic: Is that name just for me or do you use it on all the authors? Thanks so much for reading!

CharmedGurl976: A little free advertising never hurt anyone, eh? I promise I'll read it!

Zen-ish: What an honor! Thanks, you made my day!

Because I Know You

Chapter Eleven: Enlightenment

Lily arrived home from the dance as she had departed, with three handsome young men as her escorts. During the walk home she had been on cloud nine. She and Travis had held hands the entire walk home, although discreetly while Robbie and Ray walked slightly ahead of them. She wasn't sure of Ray's feelings yet; she didn't want to cause him any pain. Then again she couldn't afford not to express herself with Travis, she was leaving in a few days. When they arrived at her porch, she felt tears sting her eyes once again. All these little moments felt like tiny good-byes that tore at her heart. Robbie gave her the CD that had played a part in their musical mutiny and Ray twirled her around in a last minute dance. Travis embraced her; she could count on her hand the number of times Travis had hugged her. He gave her a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Sleep well, Ms. Ambassador."

That was entirely impossible. She drifted into her room. Just thinking about the kiss with Travis released the butterflies in her stomach all over again. And yet she had never felt so despondent in her life. Just when she may have finally figured out what love was she was going to leave it behind in a trail of dust. Her heart beat double-time at the thought. Was it love? People don't kiss like that unless they are in love, do they? She hadn't realized how much time had passed during her musings until she heard the soft knock at her door.

Her mother entered. "Lily, all that excitement from tonight keeping you awake?"

"Among other things." Lily sighed heavily, she might as well ask her mother for advice, after all, she'd been there. "Mom, can I ask you something?"

Her mother moved behind her and began to release her hair from its twist and picked up a brush from the bureau to smooth it out. "You know you can. Is this about one of those three handsome men?" She said this with a lift of her eyebrow that made Lily feel like she was ten again with a newfound crush. "Perhaps two?"

Her mom constantly surprised her; she had known all along about the confusion she went through with Travis and Ray. Perhaps she should have asked for her advice to begin with. She'd have to remember to do so in the future, she had a feeling that in the coming months she would need a lot more guidance.

She thought carefully for a few moments while her mother continued to brush out her hair. "Mom, how do you know? How do you tell the difference between high school crushes and The One?"

Her mother brushed her hair silently for a few more strokes with a nostalgic smile on her face. "Lily, it's new, exciting, wonderful, scary, and more often than not painful." Her expression turned serious as she turned Lily by the shoulders to face her. "I know you may be feeling rushed to discover the depth of your emotions but believe me when I say you have plenty of time. You may be leaving in less than a week but if you have found The One, then the distance will not matter."

Lily pondered for a moment, it was a very calming thought, she hoped it was true. She reached out and hugged her mother. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

Lily spent all of Monday packing up whatever she could. She met the guys at the studio for the RFR broadcast. She spent more time holding back tears and sniffles than contributing anything of value or substance. She didn't want listeners to clue into the tightness in her voice and sense something was amiss. The next day a box of tissues was placed in front of her chair. She suspected Travis had something to do with that. The shows were trivial compared to some of their previous broadcasts but that didn't matter to Lily. Time was flying too quickly, it was like trying to hold onto sand, the more tightly you squeezed the more you lost. After the show they all went to Mickey's and just enjoyed each other's company.

She sat as close as she could to Travis and was surprised to see that Ray seemed O.K. with that. It irked her that she would be leaving just when everyone had figured out how they felt about each other with no residual stress. Travis constantly touched her. Nothing too overt, no massive public display of affection, just a subtle gesture as if he was reassuring himself of her presence rather than offering her affection or comfort. She found that to be infinitely more romantic. It was not fair that she would not get to fully discover Travis' romantic side. She would have sulked if she hadn't thought it an incredible waste of her precious time. Instead she just enjoyed herself.

* * *

Travis' nervousness grew exponentially with each passing second. He had sent a message for Lily to meet him at the studio tonight; his flight out was tomorrow evening. He wanted his farewell to Lily to be special and private. This was something he didn't want to share with Ray and Robbie. He had two gifts for her. One for her to open tonight and one to open after she departed. He had wrapped each of them in various colored bandannas so nothing would be wasted even though they made her look like a babushka. He'd only turned on the smaller lights in his tech booth so the mood was softer. Not too many girls would find a ramshackle warehouse filled with miscellaneous furniture and duct-taped broadcast equipment high on their list of most romantic rendezvous. Just Lily.

He really didn't know what to say to Lily. The feeling of vulnerability was almost overwhelming. When he kissed Lily at the dance he hadn't expected to feel it quite that way. He was a growing man, he knew how the body responded, no surprise there. What amazed him was how his heart swelled and the world shrank. There was only Lily. There was no way for him to know if she felt as strongly about him. He decided it didn't really matter.

He was puttering around in the booth when she arrived, a crisp autumn breeze chasing her in the door. She dropped her bag on the table and draped her jacket across one of the chairs. "Hey." She said softly. She was wearing a soft green sweater, his favorite color. Lily always knew about the little things. Travis could not bring himself to approach her; he stayed in his booth. He knew it was just a physical manifestation of his fear of letting go. Still, he remained in the booth and replied just as softly, "Hey yourself."

She did not approach him directly; she walked around the studio looking around as if she'd never been inside before. He supposed she was trying to memorize each tiny detail, she would occasionally run her fingers along the table or a chair or drag them down the rack of CD's on the wall like a little kid with a stick along a fence. He was witnessing her farewell to one of her treasured spaces. His nervousness disappeared. He came up behind her while she read the CD titles and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned back and sighed. He asked softly, "Looking for new tracks in the soundtrack of your life?" She simply laughed. He took her hand and led her to the battered and faded couch. "How about presents? I do recall Shady Lane mentioning small gifts couldn't hurt."

She narrowed her eyes playfully, "And I recall a certain DJ Smog relating that the collection of material goods was not necessarily good for one's karma." They sat comfortably on the couch as he picked up the smaller of the two packages.

"Well, that usually only applies to the collection of valued goods to increase one's wealth. This..." he said while waving the present, "only holds value to those who know me. And the other gift you can open when you're flying off to your destiny." He handed her the gift and she raised her eyebrows at the unusual wrapping.

"Are you trying to make me look like a babushka or are you admitting you like these now?"

He smirked, "A little of both."

She carefully pulled away the bandanna to reveal a CD labeled "For Lily." Her smile was bright and he gently took the CD from her so that he could play it in the booth. He returned to her smiling softly as she commented, "I suppose those are original tracks?"

"Mostly, some are songs that make me think of you. But you inspired my softer side, I hope you like it."

She listened for a moment. Travis was truly a talented DJ. This was definitely not dance music. Soft and slow, but with a supporting beat and every so often a trill of music that seemed to have a Far East orientation. Very romantic. She leaned toward him; "I love it, Travis." She placed the first of many soft kisses on his lips. The world shrank once again and he was lost.

They spent the next hour alternating between soft conversation and even softer kisses. Occasionally things would get a little heated and Lily would pull away breathlessly as if she was going to say something. After the third round her courage crested as she asked, "Travis, I know I'm leaving and it's really not fair to put you on the spot but…how do you feel…about me?"

His silence began to worry her; he could see the tiny frown appear. He remembered his vow to not let her feel any obligation to him but he could not leave without letting her know how he felt. The age-old standard of "I Love You" seemed to carry so much baggage with it and really did not encompass the strength of his emotion. Lily's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Why do men always have such trouble expressing feelings?" She started to pull away from him but he pulled her back to lean against his chest as he began his quest for her understanding.

"Lily, do you remember how you felt when you first picked up a guitar? How did you know it was for you, can you describe that for me?"

She swiveled her head back to look at him like he was avoiding the subject but decided to humor him. She leaned back into him and fell into story-telling mode. "It was beautiful. It seemed to call to me…so shiny and mysterious and the sounds it made as I ran my fingers along the strings seemed unusual and exciting. I thought it would be awkward to hold but the strap was like a comforting friend. Then the store manager hooked her up to an amp. I could almost feel the current." She felt Travis splay one hand across her abdomen as the other softly ran along the inside of arm. She continued somewhat distracted. "I let loose with a heavy strum and the reverberation ran through my entire body. It was amazing. I don't know how to explain it Travis, I just knew…" She stopped speaking suddenly realizing his intention. She turned to look at him.

His expression was soft and so intense at the same time. "Exactly, I just know." She didn't know how the other wrapped gift could possibly be any better than what she had just received. She turned in his arms and thanked him properly.

A/N: No more begging, I promise.

O.K. I lied, PLEASE review. I enjoy your comments as much as reading stories!


	12. Reticent Retreat

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: I think I'll just shut-up and let you guys read. _And the crowd goes wild!!_

Because I Know You

Chapter Twelve: Reticent Retreat

Travis had offered to walk Lily home but she declined, which surprised him. She had said she needed the time alone to appreciate her hometown of Roscoe. She said it was her own form of meditation. He compromised by walking her to the end of the cluster of warehouses. He hugged her tightly as she buried her face in the crook of his neck while his fingers smoothed her hair. It was a good thing that she pulled away first because he did not have the strength or desire to do it himself. Her lips met his, soft but confident, unaware of the significance of the moment. She walked away turning back to him once in a while to wave. When he was sure she was out of earshot he whispered, "It was wonderful knowing you, Lily Randall."

He certainly understood the need for meditation at the moment. His thoughts were scattered as he walked back to the station, the gravel sounding out his solitary footfalls. He should have told her he was leaving, he just couldn't. She would find out soon enough. For the past two hours he had questioned his decision to leave. Still, he came to the conclusion that he would be better off in London focusing on something rather than going crazy in Roscoe counting the hours till her next return.

He straightened up the studio, taking his time, memorizing everything, just as Lily had. No one knew he was leaving. Principal Waller had been silenced by his belief that this involved hush-hush diplomatic matters; an idea that Travis had not discouraged. His parents certainly were not PTA material; as far as he knew they did not mingle with anyone associated with his school. He had not told Lily or his other two closest friends. There would be no one to see him off. Sadly enough, he was used to that.

He had painstakingly laid out instructions for every piece of equipment used during an RFR broadcast and also for the recording equipment if there ever was a need for prerecorded intros or shows. As a tribute to Robbie's worst-case scenario personality he had even laminated them. He left copies of the CD's that had been part of his collection so that the two remaining DJ's would not suddenly be missing a chunk of their musical repertoire. He'd even used Robbie's infamous label maker to identify all the equipment. As a joke, he labeled everything: table…chair…exit.

As he was about to leave he realized he'd forgotten something at his house. He figured he would have time to bring it by tomorrow before he left, he was attending a half-day of school before jetting across the globe. One might wonder why but it was the last time he would be with his friends. He would take the forgotten item to the studio after lunch when everyone would still be in class.

* * *

He spent the morning goofing off with Ray and Robbie and most of the time in his classes he was sending silent messages to Lily via text messaging. For the first time in his life he wanted to cut class just to go to her but that would make leaving that much harder. At lunch he sat with the guys and they called Lily. Robbie was planning a grand show and they were all excitedly chatting about songs and skits as they looked around inconspicuously for eavesdroppers. Now was as good a time as any to voice his one true act of deception.

"Uh, guys? I won't be able to make today's show. I'll be visiting London relatives." Not a full-blown lie but the intent was the same.

Robbie frowned only slightly, "It's O.K., man, I think I've finally gotten the hang of that electronic beast."

Travis smirked, "Treat her nicely or she'll turn on you."

Ray handed the phone to Travis. "She wants to talk to you." Ray smirked as he mimicked Travis. "Treat her nicely or she'll turn on you."

He took the phone and lowered his voice for a false sense of privacy. "Hey Lil."

"So you're bailing on us?" She laughed, "I'm sure you'll be bored witless with family visiting. I know I always am. It should be about as fun as memorizing the checklists my parents keep shoving under my nose."

"Well, it will definitely be a long night." _And a long flight_, he thought.

"You'll still be there to see me off tomorrow right?" At his prolonged silence she spoke softly, "Travis?"

"I…I don't know for sure, Lily. My parents are pretty strict about prioritizing family. They'll probably have us whisked away to some weekend retreat." _Well_, he thought **_that_** was an outright lie.

His shoulders slumped as he heard her stifle a sniffle. Her voice was so tiny. "I'll see you again though?"

"Yes." _Someday_, he thought with conviction. _Someday when they were sure of their paths_.

* * *

Ray and Robbie looked at him strangely when he had clasped their shoulders firmly after lunch and simply said, "See you later." After he was sure they were headed to class, he went to Waller's office to pick up a copy of his transcript then headed to his locker to empty it out. Not much there, so it wouldn't take long and he could head to the studio to drop off his "goodbye" for the guys. It was remarkable that such a large part of his life was held in such a tiny rectangular space. He was unnerved slightly by the echo his footsteps produced in the locker-lined hallway as if the school itself was trying to reveal his covert egress.

A very familiar voice stopped him cold in the hall. "Travis!"

Audrey. He turned slowly to face her. "Audrey, what are you doing out of class?"

"Just running an errand for my art teacher." She held up the annoying brick-sized hall pass. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

If anyone would have found out it was Audrey; their parents had met during the brief courtship he and Audrey had shared. It was possible that she could have found out. He could hear the panic in his voice; he didn't want anyone to talk him out of it. "Audrey! I know I should have said something earlier but I didn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it. You won't tell them will you?"

"What are you talking about, Travis?" Her expression had changed from mild curiosity to deep concern. He saw the realization hit her when she spied his bag laden with the contents of his locker. "Travis? What did you do?"

She had only thought he was leaving for the day. He mentally slapped himself for his mistake but he couldn't hold back the lie anymore. He'd already hurt her badly once. "I'm leaving for London…today."

She was shocked into silence for a moment; her mouth frozen into a perfect glossy little "O". She stepped forward as if to protect the secret. "Is this because of Lily?"

He certainly wasn't expecting that question and it left him floundering, he wasn't comfortable talking about Lily, especially to Audrey. "NO!" Her look told him she wasn't fooled. Softer he added. "Yes and no. I am more than likely to be moved out of Roscoe by my parents anyway, I'm just beating them to it. Besides, if I stay busy in London with my uncle then I will not miss her."

She smiled and shook her head as if she was speaking to a child. "Well, you'd be wrong there. It won't matter where you are, Travis. But I understand." She hugged him and he returned the embrace, she really was a wonderful person. "You realize she's going to be angry with you, have you ever seen her angry?"

Yes he had, she was beautiful when she was amp-less.

"You won't tell them will you? I've already got my good-byes prepared and it may be the coward's way out but I don't want a big scene, you know?" It sounded even worse out loud than it did in his head when he was trying to justify his actions.

"Travis, that's not the easy way out…but you already know that don't you?" She looked him over and softly she said, "Don't worry, I won't tell them. You can trust me." She may not have intended to remind him of his betrayal but she had.

"Thanks, Audrey. For everything." He turned to leave but her next question stopped him once again.

"So who's going to run RFR now, Smog?"

He turned to see her smiling slyly. "You are Smog right? I don't think you have the humor of Pronto nor the hormones for Shady Lane. It's a close call for Question Mark but you seem more passive and subtle…like Smog."

"How long have you known?"

"Oh, since we were dating, really. Not one after-school date and a lot of "I just can't." excuses. I wasn't really sure of it until recently though. Don't worry, that secret is safe with me too." She winked at him.

Stunned he asked, "And when you called into the show as Devastated?"

She smiled sadly, "I wanted to give you the chance. It worked out O.K., wouldn't you say?"

"Yes…yes it did. You're amazing." He took her hand; his respect for her had skyrocketed. "You know, I don't know how the guys' reception would be at first but RFR could use another strong female presence after this weekend."

Audrey pursed her lips, "I'll think about it. Goodbye Travis."

He really hated that word. "Goodbye."

* * *

He entered the studio for the last time. This place felt more like home than any other had before. What had started out as gray and rusted now held color and life. The brightly colored posters and miscellaneous drawings providing a spontaneous mosaic of memories that could not be duplicated. He smiled as he spied all his labels. Robbie's headphones were labeled "Poohead." Ray would like that. He probably wouldn't like that Lily's ball was now labeled as the Edit Button and placed it in front of Robbie's chair. Ray's voice filled his head, _A simple punch in the arm would do, Swami! _Travis grinned, _As you wish, Pronto._

He had to empty his bag to get to the items he needed. It wasn't much. He had mixed and edited the segments of RFR shows that showcased the guys' best qualities. Now every DJ had their own little demo. The best of Ray. The best of Robbie. Sometime in the future, it might come in handy. He knew Robbie would end up in broadcasting or journalism. Ray he wasn't too sure about, but he felt that Ray was some sports station's idea of a dream anchor. He even had the white teeth to boot. Inside the booth his fingers gently glided over the controls. He just had that feeling that this humble abandoned warehouse was the cultivating point for talent. He was sure of it.

He took out a notebook and penned a farewell. He had done everything now. Leaving was all that was left. He was struck with the sudden desire for a token memento. He carefully pulled down one of their flyers advertising Radio Free Roscoe, rolled it up with care and placed all his items back in his bag. He saw one last thing and couldn't resist. It was Lily's straw cowboy hat that she had sported during the RFR warehouse party. He couldn't believe she hadn't taken it, he liked to think she'd left it just for him.

He took one last look and stepped out of the studio, locking the door behind him.

* * *

A/N: You guys know what I like!!

Special note: This chapter is dedicated to Eyes of a Child who gave me my very first review which was very helpful as well. Sadly her site is on a hopefully VERY temporary hiatus. I know it will be hard after what you're dealing with but I hope your confidence in the human spirit is restored soon!


	13. Author's Oops

Because I Know You

Chapter 13: Curse this number, it's a big fat OOOooops!

A/N: O.K. I'm really mad at myself. I have a MAJOR detail snafu in this story, but I'm gonna make it a game, the first person to find it will get cyber-applause and a personal preview of the finale' before I post it. (If you care and after I write it of course and provided you are able to receive it) You can leave it on the review board or email me…whatever. If you don't care, then yippee for me, if you are intrigued then…Happy Hunting! _Be vewy, vewy, qwiet…I'm hunting ewwors._


	14. Departures

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: To those hunting my goof, T'aint Audrey, it isn't any of the main characters. It isn't a plot problem, just a detail about the show that really ticked me off that I had missed. If you guys didn't notice it, then I guess I did a pretty good job of distracting you, eh? Games still on though, if anyone figures it out I'll keep my promise

Because I Know You

Chapter Fourteen: Departures

Lily caught up with Robbie and Ray en route to the station. She didn't know if she would be of much use to them but it was her final show and she wouldn't miss it; she only wished Travis could be there too. Maybe they could call him during the show and tease him.

Robbie teased her slightly; "You ready for this?"

"Nope."

Ray knew her better, "Gonna do it anyway?"

"Yep."

Robbie laughed, "Some show this is gonna be with one DJ out and the other reduced to monosyllabic conversation."

She just stuck her tongue out at Robbie and unlocked the door.

They all noticed the labels and chuckled slightly. Ray noticed the label on Robbie's headphones and began to laugh quite loudly until the new Edit Button connected with his head. He noticed its label. "You practicing to take Lily's place?" He rubbed his head as Robbie continued into the booth to jumpstart the equipment. Lily was spying all the labels with a small, satisfied grin. Ray continued, "Travis was probably just setting us up for this little joke. He's not really visiting anyone."

"Uh, guys?" The tone in Robbie's voice caught their attention. "He really is visiting London relatives…in London."

Lily ceased all movement. "What?"

Robbie lifted the note so that they could see Travis' writing. "He left for London…today."

Lily scrambled to get to the phone and began dialing frantically as Ray refused to believe it. "That's insane, Robbie! He was just in class this morning!" In their shocked silence he heard Lily furiously pressing buttons. He jumped as Lily slammed the phone down with a growl. She shoved Ray out of her way and entered the booth to judge for herself. She saw the brief note:

To my fellow DJs and my friends,

I am leaving for London today to live with my uncle and help him with his studio. Hopefully, I can manage to find a career in some facet of the music industry as well. I've laid out everything you might need to run RFR and you have my cell number if you need to call. The CD's might come in handy if you need a demo of your "extra-curricular" activities someday. I believe you will succeed in whatever you attempt. It has been an honor knowing you.

Travis Strong, a.k.a. Smog

Lily was floored. There was very little emotion in that note. No special note to her after all they'd been through in the last few days. He was leaving…for good. There was no way she would see him now, even if she visited Roscoe. It took a few moments for that realization to sink in and then she bolted out of the door with a startled Ray and Robbie trailing behind her. She was holding on to the thin shred of hope that he was still home preparing to leave.

Ray caught up with her easily to grab her arm and she rounded on him viciously in her panic, "Let me GO!" Stunned by her behavior he did, watching as her hair whipped back wildly as she ran. Robbie came along side of him slightly winded.

"Dude, let her go, it's probably best. She won't want us to witness anything, we can be sure she's all right later."

Ray looked doubtful and torn. Robbie grabbed his arm for a moment to direct him back to the station and Ray followed simply because he didn't know what to do.

They entered the studio and looked around at the labels and reread the note. Ray was sitting in the booth with a thoughtful look upon his face. His voice sounded oddly out of character, quiet, calm, and confident, "He's running away from home."

Robbie huffed, "He's still had his doubts that this was his home, he was always wary."

Ray clarified, "Not Roscoe." He remembered Travis' statement of so long ago, the baseball analogy. "Lily."

* * *

As Lily ran, the rational part of her was insisting that she stop acting like an idiot; he was already gone, she'd already called his house and cell repeatedly. Her irrational side won out easily as she continued her path to Travis' house. Silently she cursed herself for having hobbies that did not necessarily help with her aerobic capacity. Still she kept running until she reached his house, ringing the doorbell and banging on the door when the bell did not produce a response. The house was dark, no one was home, and she knew it was impossible to catch him. She couldn't stop the sobs then. She slid slowly down to the ground. Damn him.

She had been hopeful that this newfound love could survive the distance of her quest to New York but she had serious doubts about its survival when it came to London. He hadn't really said goodbye. He didn't even single her out in his note.

Her crying stopped instantly as she suddenly remembered their little date in the studio. He had given her two gifts. One to open when she left, he had said. Her rational mind kicked in again. It was really for her to open after she discovered he had gone. He had been planning this for a long time; he had known about it and had not told her. She remembered their night in the park as he had gently convinced her to tell Ray she was leaving. Hypocrite! Her anger gave her the strength to push off the ground and dust off. She headed for home; whatever he had given her had better be good.

* * *

Travis was on autopilot as he walked through the parking lot of the airport, his parents following behind him and chatting amiably. He had learned early in life to turn off his emotions during major transitions such as this. As such, he was completely unprepared when someone plowed into him quite hard, sending his belongings skittering along the pavement. He didn't think much of it as he muttered, "Don't worry about it," to the well dressed but obviously late businessman who was apologizing profusely. Belatedly, he noticed papers being caught in a whirlwind and watched with wonder as they fluttered quickly away. Nonplussed, he began to straighten himself up; it was only addresses of the gang that he could get easily with a simple phone call. Just then he heard a phone ring followed by the crunch of plastic popping and whipped his head to the sound. There lay his cellphone, correction, what was left of his cellphone in the wake of a departing van. With a sigh he proceeded into the terminal, he would just have to wait until he got to London to call them. They would probably be a little angry at first anyway.

At the gate, his mother fussed a little, brushing off his shoulders and attempting to smooth down his hair. She'd never understood its style. Her chatter was just a droning buzz until his subconscious plucked out something that seemed vital.

"Pardon?"

"Travis, you really should pay more attention, it's a dangerous place…London. I said here are the numbers where your father and I can be reached. We will be traveling for the next three weeks or so but we want you to check in with us, darling.'

"You're leaving Roscoe?"

"Well, I don't think it's anything permanent but your father is going to be discussing his future plans. We've always been like seeds born upon the wind. Why do you even ask, you're going to be in London."

He wondered that himself. He supposed it had been comforting knowing it was possible to return. That scenario was in jeopardy now. At his silence his mother began chatting again and his instinct to withdraw kicked in. Absently, he took the piece of paper listing their itinerary. He said goodbye to his parents, cleared the final security checks, and handed over his boarding pass. He paused only briefly before entering the causeway to the plane but he didn't look back.

No one paid him any attention as he settled in his seat and prepared for flight. After the plane rose with a roar in seeming defiance of physics he pulled out his portable CD player hoping it still worked after its impact with the harried traveler. He pressed play and listened as the banter of four friends filled his thoughts and kept him company on his trip across the ocean. He did not bother with his latest mantra; he knew it was pointless. He would always long for Lily.

A/N: How's that for a meanie cliffhanger, not so nice now, am I? (DIE cricket DIE!)

Here we go again folks: My tribute to the end of a fine show.

A deep voice stated calmly, "He got on the plane."

He felt her come up directly behind him to peer over his shoulder at the screen. "What do you mean he got on the plane?"

"Could I BE any more clear? He...Got...On…The…Plane."

She began to pace. "That's not possible. That's not right. Everyone knows people in love don't get on planes and fly across the globe."

He turned to face her in astonishment. "YOU almost did."

"Keyword, Ross…ALMOST! We have to do something, there needs to be a change, a rewrite, something, anything!"

"How do you propose we do that"

(ALL TOGETHER NOW)

"REVIEW!!!"

(Well, I won't rewrite it, but the ending could be swayed.)** . Also, sorry this is a little shorter, I actually had to split it here because my ideas for this chapter ran a little long.**


	15. Footnotes of Feeling

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Wow! I think that's the most reviews I've ever received for a chapter! Y'all are great! Each and every one of them brings a smile to my face and makes me work that much harder to make the next chapter better than the last.

xo bella italiana ox: Man! You are like the designated hitter of reviewing. You don't get up to bat much but when you do, you knock it out of the park! I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that. BLESS your little heart!

ML Europe: You still lookin? I'm rootin for ya, baby!

Ana: Two newbies to RFR fanfiction, one at reading, the other at writing, (sniffle) like two ships in the night...I LOVE you man! Thanks for the compliment.

Because I Know You

Chapter Fifteen: Footnotes of feeling

Lily arrived at her house still angry but controlled. She strode with purpose into her room, stepping lithely among the packed boxes till she reached her nightstand. She sat gingerly on the edge of her bed and picked up the gift. The bandannas covering it were blue, a crisp cerulean blue, the traditional black and white pattern standing out sharply in contrast.

She ran her fingers across the smooth cotton and noticed her hands were shaking. This was her last hope that Travis had thrown her a lifeline. She took a deep breath and pulled away the fabric to reveal a battered notebook, old enough that its corners were rounded and worn. Immediately recognizable as the type Travis perpetually carried around but this notebook did not have a subject labeled boldly on the front. She opened it slowly and realized it was not so much a journal as it was something he carried to capture random thoughts and ideas throughout the day.

A folded slip of paper floated to the floor as she fanned the pages. There it was…a last note…her note. It seemed so small. She had that Indiana Jones déjà vu feeling again. _Beware the thin envelope for therein lies rejection_. O.K. so it wasn't an envelope but she feared it just the same. She delicately picked it up from the floor and flipped it open; her heart sank. She'd been looking for numbers, digits, an address, a phone number, or anything at all to tell her how to reach him. All she found was his neat script.

Dear Lily,

Either you peeked and I'm about to catch hell or you kept your promise and would throttle me if not for the ocean in your way. I am so sorry that I played the coward but if you had known you would have tried to convince me to stay. As weak as I am when it comes to you, I probably would have.

What would have been so bad about staying in Roscoe? A full range of emotions hit her: love, exasperation, anger, confusion. She continued to read_._

I didn't want to give in to you at the dance. It has only made this situation that much more complicated. I have never known anyone like you, Lily. You are so talented, open, and honest. I have become so attached to you. I just felt the need to focus myself in a positive way for my future, as you have done, instead of counting the hours until your next return.

Her tears flowed freely and her hands shook even more as she read on.

Never doubt what you mean to me, Lily. I have never been good at expressing what I'm feeling, probably never will be. This gift is as close as you'll get to being inside my head and reading my thoughts. Looking back, even I was surprised by how much you influenced my life. I laugh at myself now about how I tried to hide from you. You know me so well, Lily. Anyone can be loved. Most of us are born into this world already loved, unconditionally. You chose to take the time and effort to get to know the person inside and you chose to remember. That is more precious to me.

Her heart broke all over again that she would not get the chance to discover more, to know him further. And right on the heels of that emotion anger rode in again. He was not giving her the chance.

I am not forgetting you, Lily, I choose to remember too. I'm going to make the most of my experience in London and hopefully something positive will come of it just as it did in Roscoe. Give yourself some time to settle in New York, please take that path and have no regrets. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, please call. I'll be waiting.

Yours truly,

Travis

P.S. "Resolve to be thyself and know that he who finds himself loses misery." - Matthew Arnold

He was telling her to keep going, to chase her dream. All she felt like doing was curling up into a fetal position and crying until exhaustion overtook her. It was hard to completely maintain her previous level of anger. He had tried to spare her this anxiety by pushing her away at the dance and she had forced his hand. She still did not understand why he had to leave Roscoe, to go all the way to London, to focus himself. That understanding would have to wait until she was able to reach him. Out of desperation she tried his cell once more only to receive the service message yet again. His parents did not answer the home number so she left a message for them to call her. Maybe they would tell her how to reach him.

She picked up the notebook once more and randomly picked a section roughly in the middle, leafing slowly through the pages. At times his writing was neat and precise as she knew it to be and at others it seemed almost maniacal. One such section had notes and sketches for the infamous egg drop contest. She flipped a little toward the front and her name caught her eye, it simply said, _Lily wore green today_. There was no date so she had no clue exactly when but it must have been sometime around the RFR warehouse party because there were skits for the intros and his notes for the mixes and songs nearby.

She flipped past the egg-drop contest and found an interesting comment.

I think I finally figured out why Lily may not have liked Miss C. One is usually most critical when confronted with a mirror. They are somewhat similar, refreshingly honest and wickedly witty. I must have subconsciously based her on aspects of Lily that I like. Just a theory. Lily was right though and it's a little scary to know that she can figure me out even before I do sometimes.

Her name appeared quite often to her surprise.

I hugged Lily today. I don't think I've ever hugged her, she smelled wonderful. I was just so glad that she was going to help me with Audrey.

O.K., well, she could have done without that last line but he seemed to think of her often. Another entry obviously documented his birthday.

Lily wrote a song for my birthday. I liked it; she is better than she realizes. I feel honored that she is my friend.

The entries continued and her name appeared more and more often. Sometimes he didn't use her name, suddenly Lily became "She."

She called me a Snob today and I smiled. I'm still smiling on the inside. She really pulls no punches; a worthy adversary.

She is scared but I'm going to help her with her single, I feel invigorated. I'll be able to give something back to her.

Lily flipped forward earnestly knowing what had happened soon after. She wanted to see his reaction and found no mention of it or her anywhere in the next several entries. She was about to be angry that yet again he had closed off when a light went off. He had been just as shocked, he had no clue how to categorize that kiss, so shocked that it had thrown his routines off kilter. This made her smile. It had been a wonderful kiss. She continued forward.

She found many quotations regarding honor and friendship, trust and betrayal, and remaining on a noble path. Well, that explained a lot. Her name did not appear for quite some time until she found scattered information about recording labels, framing schematics for CD's, and lists of local framers. This took up several pages, he had indeed put a lot of effort into her gift from Ray. A few more pages later and an entry floored her.

She is beautiful.  
  
Written nearby that statement was the name of the charity she had donated his profits to. She began to cry again if for no other reason than she longed for him to have said it to her directly. Again this was followed by more rote about the noble path and the separation of wants and needs. There were only a few more entries left.

But I need her.

She threw the book down in confusion. If he needed her then why the hell did he leave? They were more likely to see each other if he had stayed in Roscoe than cavort across the globe. Lily left the room to seek solace where she always had. She went to the backyard, gracelessly plopped in back of her Gigantuous Twee and tried to distract herself by counting stars through the massive maze of branches.

* * *

Lily had no idea how long she had sat against that tree. She pressed her head back firmly to feel the bite of the bark, something, anything to keep her from feeling completely numb. She heard footsteps approaching cautiously. There was no doubt in her mind as to who it was. 

"I swear, Ray, if you crack one joke about a softer landing I will hurt you…bad."

"No jokes, Lily. Your mom called me; she's a little worried that the night before the biggest day of your life you are out here under our tree. Here, I brought you a blanket."

She was appreciative of its warmth as he wrapped it around her. As he settled in beside her she noticed he was carrying the notebook. She should have been angry that her mother would invade her privacy but she just didn't care anymore. Besides, it was Ray.

When it was obvious that Lily was not going to initiate conversation Ray tilted the notebook to catch the moonlight, "This makes for interesting reading, huh?"

Her bitterness was obvious, "Well, it probably only holds value to those who know him. I had no idea he would take off like this. Not a damn clue."

Ray pursed his lips as he thought of another tactic. Might as well go in for the kill. "He's in love with you, Lily."

Her tone was slightly softer as she responded, "So you read his cliffnotes too?"

"Don't have to, Lil. I have a little life experience in that area."

She looked at him then, her bitter anger fading fast. "Oh Ray, I'm so sorry. I'm such a jerk, dumping all of this on you of all people. You should be out having fun and searching for your one and only instead of pitying your ex."

Ray took her hand and held her gaze, "I'm always gonna be a little in love with you, Lily. But you are forever going to be my best friend. This..." he said while holding their clasped hands up for her to see, "is what best friends do."

Tears filled her eyes at his statement and he could see that she was placing her trust in him fully once more. Her voice was a mere whisper. "Why did he leave me, Ray?"

He wrapped his arm protectively around her pulling both of them back to lean more comfortably against their tree. Both of them gazed up into the canopy of leaves as if to divine the answer there.

"I don't know for sure, Lily. I think he's running away because he doesn't know how to be in love."

"None of us do, Ray. Not really."

She sighed sleepily and Ray was willing to let her sleep for just a while. It was peaceful here, the last time they would probably be under the Gigantuous Twee together. It was always eventful; he would miss it. Lily's soft voice caught his attention once more as she muttered child-like in her sleep.

"Stupid little monkey."

A/N: The following review enticer is dedicated to those who lurk. The quiet ones. I was quiet once…ONCE…only once.

Don't own em. I wish I owned a simple one thousandth and I'd still be rich. Sigh.

The fire crackled heartily as if to keep pace with the mass of young girls emitting ooo's and aaah's in the far corner.

"Blimey! What are they on about!"

The brown haired girl looked up from her parchment to glance at the gaggle of giggling girls.

"A story," she replied matter-of-factly intending to get back to her task.

That wasn't to be, as her other friend's curiosity had obviously been piqued.

"All that for a bloody story? What's it about? Surely, you know…you are their roommate."

She exuded calm and aloofness as she responded, "Romance, of course. A muggle friend of mine prints off each new part and owls it over. A serious distraction from their studies."

The girls fawned loudly. Her red haired friend screwed up his face comically, "Oi! I'm glad you are not like THAT, Hermione!"

Harry ever so slyly had come around behind her and as Ron cluelessly provided distraction he peered at her parchment. His eyes widened and he snatched the roll away.

"You deceitful, little witch!"

"HARRY! Give that back, NOW!"

Ron bellowed, "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

Harry smiled wickedly and held the parchment aloft as Hermione jumped like a cat after a grasshopper. "She's writing a…a…a…"

Ever impatient Ron prodded, "Out with it, mate! What is it?"

(ALL TOGETHER ONCE MORE!!)

"A REVIEW!"


	16. Departures part deux

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Wow! I had a lot of new readers to review that last chapter. All of your responses are so overwhelming. I am truly grateful for your input and truly touched that something I have written affected a few of you deeply enough to bawl right along with me.

Because I Know You

Chapter Sixteen: Departure part deux

After finally convincing Ray that she was emotionally stable enough for him to leave, Lily spent most of the night awake. Most of her belongings were packed away in preparation for her move so she had nothing to divert her attention. She had figured on insomnia tonight; what she hadn't planned on was the reason behind her restlessness. Excitement over attending one of the finest arts schools in the country was not one of the emotions she was feeling. Anger, abandonment, and insecurity were all vying for her foremost attention. Oddly enough layered beneath all of that was relief. Relief that Travis Strong did indeed have feelings for her. Whether they were as deep as Ray seemed to believe remained to be seen. She wasn't completely sure that she was in love herself. If being in love brought this entanglement of antagonistic emotions then she was a likely candidate.

Annoyingly enough, she knew that Travis' advice rang true. One of the ways she could bring herself around was to focus on her dream, to be true to herself. She wasn't really mad at him for wanting to pursue his destiny. The thing that bothered her was his deliberate deception. He had never done such a thing before unless you counted his involvement in their underground radio station. She liked to think that she was a strong enough person to support his choice. It angered her that he had taken the decision out of her hands. She was not some lovesick, weak-minded female who would completely fall apart if "her man" wasn't nearby. The initial shock of his departure may have ruffled her a bit but she was not going to fall apart at the seams. Travis would hear all about that if she could ever reach him.

She and Ray had continuously dialed Travis' number as well as his parents with no success. Robbie went above and beyond the call of duty by dropping by the Strong residence. He confirmed that Travis' parents had not returned to their house. Lily knew Travis would not call her first, his note had said he'd be waiting for her call. She didn't know exactly why she wasn't able to reach him; it could be as simple as connectivity on the cell but she wouldn't rest easy until she heard his voice.

* * *

Robbie and Ray were her escorts to the airport. The drive there had been strangely silent, which was quite odd for three people vocal enough to want to form their own version of radio. Ray had noticed that her hands were shaking and gently took one into his. The warmth and security that radiated from him soothed her. After the lack of communication with Travis, Lily made sure that both Robbie and Ray knew how to reach her and vice versa. Phone numbers, cell numbers, email addresses and the good old-fashioned snail mail addresses were all accounted for in her new notebook computer as well as hardcopy backup in her little black book. Well, it was actually baby blue but served the same function.

Robbie, ever the pioneer, spoke first. "We're gonna miss having you around, not just at RFR, but as Lily."

She couldn't really remember Robbie ever being so sentimental. "Well, I'll miss you guys too. But you still have Shady for a little longer, thanks to some fancy editing."

Ray voiced his opinion on that matter, "Not the same, not even close. On the upside, my arms might actually heal."

Lily punched him twice for good measure. "That ought to last you till I return."

Ray smirked and Lily was struck by the finality of that statement. She lurched forward and grabbed them both around the neck in a group hug. It seemed to last a full minute. To her surprise, Ray was the one brave enough to pull away and let go first.

"Go be famous, Lily."

Robbie could only nod his head and she noticed that his eyes were mysteriously misty. She loved them both that much more at the sight.

With absurd timing, the airline announced her boarding call and Lily noticed her parents motioning for her to step over to the checkpoint.

Again Ray's instincts were uncanny as he answered her unspoken request. "We'll keep trying too, Lily. We'll find him. I promise."

She hugged him again, kissing his cheek softly, not trusting her voice anymore. And with a last hug for Robbie she turned to the counter to display her pass to the clerk. As she was about to enter the causeway behind her parents she heard Robbie call out to her. "Yo! Lily!"

The sight before her buoyed her spirit and yet still brought a fresh wave of tears. Robbie and Ray had both donned absurdly bright pink wigs in a tribute to her short political career when she had used such a prop during her run for class president. They must have hidden them in Robbie's ever-present backpack. Each of the guys held a handmade banner. One read, "THINK PINK!" The other "GOOD LUCK!" At the last moment Ray pulled out a third and held it high over his fuscia afro. "WE LOVE YOU LILY!" To the dismay of the passengers behind her, Lily quickly whipped out her digital camera and snapped the shot. Ray's smile was brilliant and Robbie was somewhat horrified to realize that he had forever been captured wearing fake hair…pink fake hair.

* * *

Nearly four weeks passed and Lily had not been able to reach Travis or his parents. She was worried but did not dwell on it. She knew that Robbie had all the worst case scenarios covered by checking London flight information and Internet news sites.

New York was definitely keeping her busy. Her parents dragged her around in their hunt for suitable housing and she met her new academic tutor as well as her music instructors. The whirlwind of activity kept her mind from focusing on the lack of communication with Travis. Even stranger, was the complete disappearance of the Strongs. Her emails with Ray and Robbie confirmed that the house was still closed and dark but had not been touched otherwise, no moving vans or real estate salespersons. Audrey had confirmed that Travis had left to be with his "uncle in London." It was absurd that none of them knew exactly who that was. That just wasn't the type of information that was deemed relevant in their past conversations. Until now that is.

Lily was thankful that her parents had decided to come with her. Her mom would be staying in New York with her. Her dad would return to Roscoe in a couple of weeks. After her parents finally agreed on an apartment close enough to her school activities, Lily was glad to be able to unpack the boxes that had been home in Roscoe awaiting a shipping destination. She missed her old room dreadfully. New color was certainly on the agenda for this one. Painting would have to be added to her already long to-do list. As the task of organizing tired her out, Lily pulled the box labeled "Memories and Mementos" onto her bed. Ray's Book of Firsts was placed in the bureau beside her bed. She found the loose photos that she normally taped to her mirror and set them to the side. The framed CD's that Ray had given her followed that. The manila envelope containing the demo packet information was about to follow suit but for some reason Lily pulled the information out.

She was again humbled that Travis had put forth such an effort. His journal sat nearby with much the same information, solid proof of his dedication to her and her dreams. Idly, she flipped the pages, reading the names of major recording labels and independent ones as well. Some she had heard of and some she hadn't. Nearing the end of the list a name jumped out at her. One of the contacts for an independent label in London was none other than Bartholomew Strong. It listed a phone number. Her heart began to race and she nearly fell off the bed as she lunged for Travis' journal. She cursed her shaking fingers as she struggled to find the right entry.

There it was, in that maniacal scratching that indicated that Travis' was on a roll.

Don't forget Uncle Barty. It had listed the same studio out to the side.

She'd found Travis.

* * *

A/N: Anyone seen the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner? I don't own it either.

The field of corn swayed gently in the cool evening breeze. The fragrant crop seemed to whisper as the stalks waltzed in the wind. I drifted closer to the edge suddenly draw by the desire to walk among the branches. As I was about to enter its maze a silky voice stopped me cold.

If you write it they will read.

I spun around finding no one, nothing but rows and rows of corn. Unnerved I spoke aloud to the disembodied voice, "Excuse me? Who are you?"

If you write it they will read.

Exasperation laced my next words, "Write what?"

If you write it they will read.

Belligerence eclipsed my exasperation. "And if I write it and they read it…then?"

They will read it and….REVIEW!


	17. Obligations

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Let's backtrack a tad and see what Travis has been up to, shall we? Insert English accents…NOW!

Because I Know You

Chapter Seventeen: Obligation

After such a long flight Travis was ready to stretch his legs. It was a relief to finally deplane; he was looking forward to seeing his uncle. He let the throng of people at Heathrow International Airport flow around him and thin out before even attempting the search for someone he hadn't seen in years. He should have known it wouldn't have been that hard.

Uncle Barty towered above most people and was wide enough to shoulder through the thickest of crowds. His hair was just above the shoulders and wild and wavy with just a touch of distinguished gray appearing. But this is not what made him stand out. His companion was definitely the attraction. A man of smaller stature, thin and wiry with hair spiked twice as high as Travis had ever dared. Platinum blonde and eggplant purple spikes of color that hadn't been touched up in quite some time. To top it all off he had just as many tattoos as Uncle Barty with a matching number of piercings. How the man ever cleared security was a mystery.

Travis caught his uncle's eye with a wave of his hand and braced for impact. Uncle Barty picked him up in a huge bear hug and twirled him around as if he were a little girl. "Travis, it's been too long, mate!"

Once Travis regained his footing he replied, "Yes, Uncle Barty it has been a while. I see you've grown."

The laugh that erupted from Barty was well suited to his frame as several people were startled at its sound. "Yes, mate, I see you haven't."

Travis simply smirked and turned to the unknown factor in the group. "I'm sorry, we haven't met." He said with a glare toward Barty, "My name is Travis Strong."

The young man grinned widely and shook Travis' outstretched hand. "Name's Victor Midland. Vic for short."

Barty leaned down as if giving away vital information, "My latest stray, mind you. Quite talented with the tech equipment, not as musically inclined as he would like to believe."

Vic frowned, "I resemble that!" Travis wondered if he realized his verbal error.

Barty chuckled deeply as he propelled them forward through the mass of people, "Too right you do, Vic! Too right!" That answered the question. After they were properly stationed for the carousel of luggage he spoke again, "Travis, you've come home proper at the perfect time."

"How so?"

"You can help me with the club. She's just a fledgling now but we're gonna make our mark."

"Where is it?"

"You'll see. That's where we're headed. The flat is just above it."

"What's it called?"

"Well to me it's home sweet home but to the world she'll be known as…" he turned to Vic who chimed in unison with Barty "Two-Tone!"

* * *

The ride through London invigorated Travis somewhat. It had been a while since he'd been in such a thriving environment; he could feel its energy. Or maybe it was the constant chatter between Barty, who was beside him in the back, and Vic, who was half leaning into their space from the front seat. It almost felt like being with his parents and instinctively he had tuned them out. As he listened more attentively he realized they were discussing details of the club rather than pointing out the sights.

With a pang of regret he remembered being that excited about starting Radio Free Roscoe. The newness of a project always inspired him. Maybe helping with Uncle Barty's club could help focus him better than just his music alone. Perhaps Barty's enthusiasm would rub off on him. They certainly were animated as they talked back and forth in the cab. Their excitement had them waving their arms in the air and on an impulse he squinted his eyes to blur their images. Now they looked like they were re-enacting a bad martial arts sequence. He chuckled quietly and returned his attention to the landscape of the bustling city.

As he tuned out of their conversation once more he thought of Robbie and Ray and the station. And of course…Lily. He wondered how angry they were and if Lily had understood his gift. He hoped she grasped what he still couldn't find the right words to say. Every word seemed so inadequate compared to what he felt. He wanted to call but thought he might need to give her some time to calm down. Judging from how pissed Lily got when he and Robbie had broken her amp, he could only hope Ray or Robbie didn't sustain any injuries simply by being in her vicinity when she realized he'd left for such a far away location. He interrupted the conversation in the cab when he remembered that his cell phone was crushed. "Uncle Barty?"

"Yeah?"

"My cell phone was destroyed just before I left Roscoe, could you help me get a replacement?"

"Sure thing, mate. We'll get to that."

The abrupt halt of the cab captured Travis' attention. They all exited and Barty came to stand between Travis and Vic beaming with pride as they looked at what was obviously "the club."

"There she is, mates. The next hot spot for getting your funk on."

Travis quirked an eyebrow at his Uncle's unusual phrase. "You could start by not using the term "getting your funk on."

Barty seemed about to argue and then changed his mind. "All right then. I'm all for taking advice from a token representative of today's youth. Even if he is rude…and short." Travis smiled.

The building was sturdy and nondescript built with light gray bricks and appeared to be three stories tall. It stood at the convergence of three streets and was somewhat narrow due to the triangular shape of the lot. Above its door hung a rectangular neon sign split diagonally with two colors. It bore the name "Two-Tone." The "Two" was in purple letters on the upper orange diagonal half and the "Tone" in orange letters on the lower purple portion. A nice arrangement for the dual play on words.

They entered and set Travis' things behind a bar lined with high stools that ran the length of the right side. The inside had been remodeled but not much, just enough to bring some of the two-tone color scheme inside. The middle space was an open area, obviously the dance floor. The second and third stories had been knocked out above that area to leave that space with a high vast ceiling with metal girders running across it that held various lighting equipment. There was a balcony above the bar that held a few social tables and stools so people could rest if needed.

At the very back was the DJ booth. It was raised above the floor and boxed in with plexiglass. Travis was drawn to it and stepped up onto its platform; an odd narrow gate made of chain link fencing served as it's entrance. If ever there was a material item that caught his eye, this was it. The turntables were the most recent models with any type of gadget imaginable available for musical enhancement. He noticed a door leading out the back; he shot a questioning glance at Vic who had been at his heels.

"That goes out to the employee area, you know, supplies, the private loos, and the access stairwell to the flat." Travis narrowed his eyes; at least Vic was informative.

"So Vic, are you the DJ?"

Vic snorted as if it were a sore subject. "Only when Barty isn't lookin. He seems to believe I'm not all that good. But there's no accountin for taste."

Travis simply nodded and made a note to himself not to get involved in that argument. Vic seemed to notice Travis' infatuation with the turntable equipment. "What bout you, mate? You spin?"

"A little."

A wicked grin split Vic's face. "Wait 'til you see what's hiding in the basement."

They went through the booth, cut across a narrow hall and Vic pulled out a set of keys that must have weighed at least a pound. He deftly found the correct key and opened the door to reveal stairs going up and down. Heading down after Vic, Travis was in awe of this club already. Vic expertly opened a door at the bottom and stepped aside with a flourish of his sinewy arm. Travis only thought he had been infatuated with the booth upstairs. The basement was a full-fledged recording studio. He ran his fingers along the slide controls and walked along the boards to the turntables again supplied with the latest gadgets for the creation of "Techno" music.

Travis heard his uncle lumbering down the stairs as Vic went about firing up the studio. Barty came along side of him and wrapped a hefty arm across his shoulders. "This ought to get you started on your journey of musical enlightenment, eh Travis?" Travis could only nod slowly feeling like he'd been dropped in the Land of Oz. Just then an awful collaboration of thumping base and screeching synthesizer assaulted their ears. When Vic noticed their faces, he grinned.

"Told ya I was righteous! Who wouldn't be on this baby?"

Barty spun them both around without a comment to Vic and headed for the stairs talking in Travis' ear, "Don't worry mate, this baby is soundproofed beyond what is necessary, mostly due to his "talents."

Upstairs in the living quarters Travis was confronted with the true meaning of the word spartan. Some might say it was contemporary and modern. Travis just thought Barty didn't like furniture. Inside was one black sofa, one black lounge chair, and one long rectangular light maple coffee table with a neat stack of architectural magazines on it. The lone wall hanging caught his eye. A large city map had been professionally framed with the location of the club circled with black permanent marker and small notations of the competition in red.

Travis called out to his uncle who was rummaging in the small kitchen for bottled water. "This club is close to one of the hottest night clubs in London."

"Yeah, Cargo. It's far enough away that it shouldn't matter, I think we might even catch their overflow. Maybe if things go right, it'll be the other way around in a year or so."

Travis continued to study the map as Vic finally appeared at his shoulder. "One of the hottest DJ spots is nearby too, Plastic People, ever hear of that in the States?"

Travis shook his head and wondered if Vic understood Canada was not a state. He studied the map further. Two-Tone was the only club directly surrounded by four area schools. Colleges and tech universities. "Wow, you've triangulated a position among four areas populated with your target demographic."

Vic turned to him with a confused frown. "Speak English, mate!" This sharply reminded Travis of Ray and he smiled again.

With a grin he replied, "It's a good spot. A very good spot."

Vic spun on his heel and headed down the hall muttering, "Well, why didn't he just say that in the first place."

Barty replaced Vic at Travis' side and handed him the water. "Yes, I've waited a long time for it, everything I own is a part of it now. And it's nearly paid for thanks to a couple of bands I was lucky enough to sign. Any profit she makes comes straight back to us. Like I said, Travis, you've come home proper at the right time."

* * *

Weeks went by as Travis once again adjusted to a new school. He preferred to remain the loner this time, as he didn't have too much more to go. He was hoping to graduate early. He spent his evenings in a very busy environment with hardly a moment to spare. The afternoons he swapped information with his uncle about the musical tastes of the youth abroad and vice versa. Barty thought he might catch a niche if he could bring some of the new "American" music and blend it in with what was hot in London. Barty also showed him how to use the studio downstairs and he spent many hours experimenting with the new sounds. At night he helped in whatever fashion he could in the club. The DJ was decent and the crowd was steady. Unfortunately, it was the same regulars throughout the week and no push of fresh blood on the weekends. Two-Tone had yet to make its mark.

It was well past midnight and Travis was alone in his room contemplating what new gimmick to employ to boost traffic when he heard the flat's telephone ringing. Unconcerned he continued doodling in his notebook. Vic popped his head in the doorway, "S'for you, mate. Some dame."

Travis furrowed his brow wondering how his mother would respond to being called a dame. He took the phone from Vic and spoke softly and respectfully into it, "Hello?"

He was unprepared for the verbal assault launched by said dame. "TRAVIS STRONG! You misguided, insensitive, egotistical, moron of a monkey! If you ever leave me without any way to reach you like that again I will hunt you down and go ballistic on your butt!"

His smile was instant and the tirade warmed his heart, "It's nice to hear your voice, too, Lily Randall."

"Why didn't you just tell me, Travis?"

He didn't have any better answer for her now than then. "I just couldn't, Lily. I didn't want to burden you with anymore than you were dealing with, especially before leaving for something so important to you."

Her tone alerted him to the fact that his statement had definitely not pleased her. "Oh, so it's O.K. for you to deal with something so heavy before "finding your way" in London but poor little Lily might not be able to handle such a thing. Careful, Travis, your Y chromosome is showing." He probably shouldn't have laughed; she really was a worthy adversary.

Her voice softened somewhat. "Why didn't you call? I was so scared. Why doesn't your cell work?"

It was easier to answer the last question. "My cell phone was destroyed in a freak accident at the airport and I've been so busy here with Uncle Barty we just haven't replaced it yet." At her silence he realized this was not the question she had been most concerned with. He sighed, "I thought you'd be angry and wanted to give you some time."

"FOUR WEEKS!"

The distance must have given him courage. "I was scared too, Lily. I was overwhelmed by what I was feeling for you. I felt I was losing myself."

She quoted back to him, "_Resolve to be thyself and know that he who finds himself loses misery_." You went to London to find your way."

A little of the tension left him, "I wanted you to continue on as well. I didn't want you to feel an obligation towards me."

She let out an exasperated sigh, "What if I want that obligation, Travis? Maybe we felt like we were losing ourselves because we were finding each other?"

With that simple question some of his confusion lifted. Perhaps that is what people meant by "becoming a couple."

At his silence Lily continued, her voice soft and uncertain. "Do you still feel the same way about me, Travis?"

He realized how much of an idiot he had been by not trusting in Lily. He had not had enough faith in the qualities he loved, her honesty, her open nature, and her sense of confidence. "No, Lily, I don't."

"Excuse me?" Her voice was a thread of a whisper.

"You know what they say, Lily, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Her laughter seemed to cover a happy sob, "Just for that, Travis, the next time I see you I **will** go ballistic on your butt!"

The next hour was spent in happy conversation about their new surroundings along with exchanges of all pertinent numbers and addresses with the assurances that obligation was definitely a good thing.

A/N: There was a list posted on this fandom, a what-not-to-do list. I had posted a response and removed it because, well, it was unnecessary. Other authors seemed to feel the same and were doing the job better than me. I personally feel that MoonGopher just wants a little attention and by reviewing any further I'm feeding into a narcissistic personality. So if you got an Author's Alert and then found nothing, I apologize profusely, I hope this chapter made up for it.

Hey! Review and I promise not to post a list! :)


	18. Ambition and Aspiration

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Let's get back to business, shall we? Thanks to all who reviewed on this story and on Because I Can! And thanks to Dangrassi for taking an idea and running with it like an Olympic Medalist! Go read her story, Happy Go Nutso Roscoe and REVIEW it! Why you ask?

Because I SAID so! (No really, it's very good. :) )

Because I Know You

Chapter Eighteen: Ambition and Aspiration

Life moved on as it always does. Fall had yawned and gave way to Winter, which had been completely shoved out of the way by Spring. Lily continued with her studies at Julliard, preparing to finish up this semester and move toward her "senior" year after the summer. Ray and Robbie emailed her nearly every day. Communication with Travis wasn't quite as frequent but that just made her appreciate it that much more when it was received. Even as she grew used to her new surroundings and activities she could not shake an unusual feeling. She'd go about her routine of tutoring, music instruction, and visiting new places with her mother but always had that feeling that she was forgetting something important. She supposed after being friends so long with Ray and Robbie and later Travis that the lack of their presence was pushing at her subconscious.

Undoubtedly, she missed her friends but that wasn't the only thing that was niggling at the back of her mind. There was something about Julliard that inspired introspection. Of course, there was the fact that she was studying music, which was directly tied to spirit and emotion but she had decided that it had to be the campus itself. Most people assumed Julliard was a typical college-type campus with the aged architecture of mortar and brick oozing history and prominence. Yet Julliard was modern and slick with an abundance of glass and steel nestled within Lincoln Center; the many windows offered a frequent reflection of oneself. In the bright afternoon sun it offered a mirror quality view or in the evenings, lit ablaze with interior lights fighting the waning daylight, it would throw back a transparent vision, a phantom person. Lily often wondered when confronted with the phantom if she was actually witnessing a change. As if her very being was transforming, fading from old beliefs and personalities, only to solidify into some newer altered version with the coming of the morning.

She couldn't necessarily say that she was unhappy. She was enjoying her studies and being surrounded by individuals chasing after their dreams through the arts. However, she couldn't quite say she was content either. She discounted the obvious reasons of being homesick and missing Travis and the guys. And at first she thought it was just that she was now a "small fish." Actually, in Julliard she barely ranked as plankton in this sea of talent. She expected those feelings as a newcomer but as her confidence increased along with her skills that feeling of unfulfillment did not recede.

Being able to live a dream was supposed to bring about satisfaction. The last time Lily remembered that feeling was while broadcasting a Radio Free Roscoe show. That had been satisfying, enjoyable, and invigorating. More and more often while at one of the many listening stations in the Julliard library when she was supposed to be studying a particular music composition, Lily would pop in one of the CD's of the RFR broadcasts. And for an hour she would feel at peace.

* * *

She entered the apartment she now shared with her mother and heard her call out from the kitchenette. "Lily! You just missed Ray's call, if you call now I'm sure you can catch him."

Her day brightened considerably at the very thought. She smiled as she gathered the necessary supplies, a huge pillow, a notebook to doodle in, and two bottles of water. Talking with Ray could make a person very thirsty.

Lily dialed his number waiting impatiently for an answer, tapping her pen on the notebook cover. By the greeting she received it was obvious Ray's parents were not home.

"Yo!"

"With that display of disrespect it's clear you have yet to discover the true meaning of being a Brennan."

"Hey Lily! I just called you. Guess where Mickey placed your CD in the racks?"

"Well, I guess the choices of L and R are out, that would make sense." She chewed on the cap of her pen and thought for a moment. "I give up."

"Aw, come on Liiiilllly!"

"Really, Ray, I give up."

"Under F for artists with flowers in their name, Lily of the Valley! Get it?"

"Unfortunately, I do. So how is everything in Roscoe?"

"Oh, I'm sure you know, you've lived it. Nothin's getting tweaked around here. And I mean nothin."

"Well, I'm sure summer will provide you with some tweaking opportunities." Lily wondered how her word for a change in activity in Roscoe had become Ray's latest sexual innuendo.

"One can only hope. Sooo, how is my beautiful New York lady?"

"I feel like I'm swimming upstream."

She could tell by the silence that Ray was debating whether to keep the conversation light or root for the source of her ambiguity. He was cautious in his reply. "Well, I'm sure it's going to be tough learning the ropes from one of the best schools in the world."

Lily sighed heavily, "It's not that the work is too hard. I just wonder about the end result you know?"

"Lily, I've always been clueless, you're going have to be specific and possibly draw a map. Talk to me."

She wondered if Ray could tell she was smiling. She missed him. "I just don't get that same feeling. The rush I used to get while playing during a show or after I recorded those singles. Instead I'm pushing back this growing fear of being that salmon that struggles and fights its way upstream to leave its mark only to be eaten by a bear instead."

Ray deadpanned, "You're comparing a Julliard education to a spawning trip."

"Well…yeah."

"You're probably just overwhelmed and a little tired. You're coming here to visit for a while this summer right? Maybe the change of scenery and a shot of hometown ambiance will rejuvenate you." She could hear the machismo enter his voice. "And of course being surrounded by a charming and handsome person such as myself couldn't hurt you either."

"Ray?"

"Yeah Lily?"

"I have my notebook, I'm keeping score…when I get there you'd better be wearing protective gear."

* * *

Travis rushed around the club ensuring everything was in order for its night of business, a fresh stock of supplies in the loos and a quick sweep around the floors. His favorite ritual was organizing the CD's and records for the resident DJ, Dave. Oddly enough he didn't use a pseudonym like most other DJ's; he was just Dave. Then he would go upstairs, telling his Uncle Barty and Vic that he would meditate and prepare food to be waiting for them when the business closed for the night. He did actually prepare supper, he'd discovered cooking shows, and they were quite addictive. Barty was all too glad to supply him with whatever he needed if it kept him from eating take-out so often. But instead of meditating in the traditional manner he would sneak down into the studio and create whatever music fit his particular mood. It seemed to be just as good a form of relaxation as yoga.

He had always been insecure about his music and he didn't know why he hadn't trusted his uncle to listen and judge his creations yet. Tonight his mood was a little hard to pinpoint. Lily had called and told him of her upcoming visit to Roscoe and asked if he would be coming home to his parents anytime soon. Of course, he wasn't, because his parents were rarely home anymore. He felt excitement for Lily and yet resentment for being left out of the loop and anger at himself for putting himself in this position to begin with. The rapid beat of bass and harsh riffs that he blended together swept him away into another world, he did not notice the studio door open. When he finished he powered down the equipment and prepared for his sneak back into the flat. Vic was very territorial about the turntable equipment and Travis made sure to be in the flat with a textbook opened at his side to avoid suspicion.

When he looked up from the panel, the massive and silent presence of his Uncle caused him to jump nearly a foot. "Uncle Barty!"

"Yeah. Looks like someone's been caught covering their tracks. Literally." He grinned.

Travis smiled shyly. "It helps me relax, kind of like yoga. You don't mind do you?"

"Course not! That's why you came isn't it? I figured you were too tied up with your studies so far to attempt it. I guess I've been underestimating you. However, I don't know how you can compare that silly stretching you call yoga to the spectacular display of spinning I just heard. You're really very good, mate."

Travis ducked his head in the face of the compliment. "Well, I've been practicing for a while now."

"I could help you, mate. That's what family does for one another." Travis knew he was talking about laying down a professional demo and promoting it. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet. Now he understood how Lily felt when confronted so directly with an opportunity that could so clearly define success or failure.

"I...I don't know, Uncle Barty. I'm just acquainting myself with the new stuff, I'm probably pretty green still."

Barty snorted at Travis' display of nerves. He was about to reply when they heard Vic pummeling down the stairs screaming for Barty. "Barty! Dave's lost it, he's flew out the gate to disfigure some poor chap!" All three of them filed out as quickly as they could up the stairs with Vic providing colorful commentary. "Bloke accused him of bangin' out the baby gravy with his missus. Insane, really, what fool would want Dave? Looks like a bulldog chewin' on a wasp, I tell ya!"

The scene on the dance floor was surreal. The lights were still whirling and the background bass from the booth was still thumping with "the bloke" landing a vicious blow to each booming beat. The club-goers were rooting for a comeback from their DJ but the melee was interrupted when Barty heaved the aggressive stranger off of Dave. The man looked as if he was about to start round two with a new opponent until he got a good look at Barty. He turned on his heel and spun in a drunken circle before fleeing for the exit.

Barty was a terrifying tower of contained anger. He spun around and noticed the silence of the club and the people just looking at him. At his feet, Dave hadn't moved and was beginning to ooze blood from the fresh cuts to his face. He didn't think twice as he shouted, "VIC! Call for a medic!" As Vic scuttled off, Barty spun around to a shocked Travis. "Get in the booth!"

"What?! I can't..."

His uncle's booming voice caused everyone to jump. "GET IN THE BOOTH!!" 

Travis ran to the booth, his fingers shaking as he began to fuss with the equipment. The music began to calm him and he slowly found a better rhythm and people began to move in the manner that was intended. They began to dance. Travis lost track of time as he went from mix to mix watching the crowd for signs to speed up or mellow out. When they finally shut the club down, Travis exited the booth on shaky legs to see a mummy that resembled Dave and his uncle grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Travis couldn't stand the scrutiny any longer. "What?"

His uncle just cocked an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "The bad news is that Dave is out of commission thanks to some extra-curricular activity. The good news is that it doesn't really matter." Dave tried to frown and ended up groaning in pain. Vic decided to step in for him and glared wickedly at Travis.

Fatigue clouded Travis' mind, "So Vic's gonna take over then?"

Vic actually growled and Travis frowned in confusion.

Barty laughed heartily but finally put an end to the suspense. "No, mate! You are!"

* * *

Travis couldn't sleep. After the events of tonight he doubted it was possible. Performing as a live DJ in a bona fide club was scary, exhilarating, and familiar all at once. Barty wanted him to continue and the thought of that excited and terrified him. They would get another DJ to fill in as well since Travis obviously could not stay up late every night and still maintain his studies. The mention of a third DJ had frustrated Vic so much that he'd left and not returned since. Smirking, Travis thought, _If it isn't one love triangle it's another_.

That made him think of Lily. He wished he could talk to her. Glancing at the clock he realized that in London it was technically morning but in New York Lily would still be awake. It was rather late to call but his insomnia pushed him to pick up the phone. He hesitated; knowing it might get her in trouble. Quickly he fired off emails instead to all three of his former DJ's. He thought Lily might call if she saw it. Time passed even more slowly. Excitement-induced insomnia combined with hopeful waiting for a telephone call seemed to produce a bubble in time. He lasted eight minutes before he reached for the receiver again and dialed in the numbers before losing his nerve.

Of course Mrs. Randall had answered. After a quick explanation and a promise to be brief, she agreed to let him speak with Lily.

Travis stretched back onto his bed and placed his free hand under his head while waiting for her.

"Travis?"

"Hey Lil. I don't mean to scare you or your mom; it's nothing really. I'm just a little excited and confused."

"About what?"

"I performed at the club tonight. Not too long, but for a couple of hours I was the DJ."

"WOW! How did that happen? Did you like it? Did the people like it? What did your uncle say?"

"Whoa slow down! I probably shouldn't have called; you'll be up all night too. I can't really explain in detail, it's all a blur. The resident DJ got into a fight, got pounded, and Barty forced me into the booth. I don't remember anything really other than the people didn't flee screaming. That's a good sign right? Anyway, Barty wants me to keep doing it."

She laughed, "I'll bet they didn't flee. You're really good Travis and it's about time the world got to know Travis Strong, he's worth knowing."

He sobered somewhat as she threw his words back at him again. "Maybe they didn't flee. Then again they might not come back. What if I can't handle this?"

"You can, Travis. It can't be any worse than taking in calls from rabid teens for an underground radio station. You'll be great!" Her voice was so soothing.

"How can you know that, Lil?"

"Because I know you."

Travis swore he could hear her smiling. He closed his eyes as she began to tell him with enthusiasm how she could help him, giving him new music and sending him a sound file if he needed some guitar riffs or how she could probably interest some of her classmates in Julliard. Any type of musical instrument would be at his disposal to blend into new mixes, horns, bells, and flutes. The stranger the sound the more it would stand out against the bass. His body finally began to relax as she continued laying out her game plan to make him the most sought after DJ in the city.

"Hey Lily?" His voice was deeper with the oncoming drowsiness.

"Yeah?" The lower octave sent a warm feeling through her. She realized he was falling asleep.

"I really miss you."

"I miss you too. Goodnight, Travis."

Lily listened for his response. She could hear his breathing, deep and even. She was tempted to remain on the line, listening while she too fell asleep but thought his uncle might do him harm when he discovered the bill. She turned off the phone.

She just missed him so much.

A/N: Who's ready for another review story? Once again, I don't own a darn thing. It's long but I don't care, do you?

Life couldn't have been any better Harry decided. He was getting to spend some time with Ron and Hermione during the summer holiday. At Hermione's house this time. Ron, for all his gripes about his father's position, was in heaven among all the muggle oddities. Television in particular had captured his fancy.

Presently they were all gathered around the telly as if it were the hearth in the Gryffindor common room. They were watching Sixth Sense and sniggering every time Haley Joel Ozment whispered fearfully, "I see dead people." Hermione had to explain to Ron that in the muggle community it was extremely uncommon. It had gotten ridiculous and was now their new catch phrase…"I see dead wizards!"

Harry glanced over occasionally at Hermione who was splitting her time between writing on parchment and grinning softly at Ron's enjoyment. When Ron left for more refreshments from the kitchen Harry asked her, "What is that you're writing, Hermione?"

She looked at him with a soft glare, "Well, you scoffed earlier. I'm writing a review for that story. It's important to tell people what you think of their work, or anything really."

He scooted very close to her to peer at her "review." From what he could see, she was thorough and thoughtful. She was putting her exceptional mind and effort into it. "So, you are doing this for yourself as much as the writer?"

"Of course, how else will the world know how I feel about anything? Telling what you like or love lets the world know how to respond to you as well. You might just get back something that pleases you." She continued to scratch out her thoughts on the vellum.

"Really?" His voice was at an odd and deep pitch that caught her attention.

She looked up at him then; his intense green eyes focused solely on her. Her own eyes widened as he leaned in very closely and his gaze shifted to her lips as he whispered a one-word request for permission…"Hermione?"

She closed her eyes as her assent and leaned forward waiting breathlessly. Just then Ron bellowed from the kitchen.

"YOU LOT WANT ANYTHING?"

Both Harry and Hermione jumped apart as he rounded the corner. Ron looked at their close proximity and looked at them oddly, "What are you doing, Harry?"

"I was…um…I was…"

Hermione saved him again, grinning slyly in his direction. "He was …reviewing."


	19. Homecoming

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

****

A/N: We are definitely in the home stretch now folks! Tired of reading it yet?

Because I Know You

Chapter Nineteen: Homecoming

Lily's nagging feeling of unfulfillment waned somewhat after Travis became a stand-in DJ at his uncle's club. She had a mission now. All her free time went into discovering new music and recruiting skeptical musicians to record snippets of music or singular strong notes to play against the backbeats of Travis' creations. He, in turn, would send her CDs of his latest mixes and she would critique them or put them into categories for him so he would know whether to use a particular song to liven a crowd or not. Her mother had been complaining loud and often about the noise until Lily had walked in on her dancing while cleaning the apartment with Travis' music playing loudly in the background. That had given Lily the upper hand and nothing more had been said.

At least all the activity on Travis' behalf kept her busy while waiting for her visit to Roscoe at the end of summer. In her excitement she had packed a week ahead of time. Only the fact that Travis would not be able to join in the reunion dampened her spirit. She vowed to email often and call as many times as her father would allow. She hoped that Ray was right and that she would return to Julliard refreshed and without the lingering doubt.

For all the commotion prior to her departure to New York there was certainly no fan fare for her return home. She felt slightly neglected but the hug she received from her father at the airport more than made up for it. It was hard being separated from her family. They spent the drive into Roscoe talking as most families did, about everything and nothing. As they pulled into the drive to their house, Lily felt something inside her release as if stretching out once finding such a comfortable niche. Even after her dad had shut off the car she sat still and quietly gazed up at her house. When she caught him staring she smiled softly, "I've missed it."

He returned her smile with a sad and wistful one of his own, "I can think of something I missed more." He reached over and patted her hand to shake off the sentimental mood. "Ray said he wanted to meet you here; he has a special surprise waiting for you under your tree."

A childlike grin overtook her. "Really?" Maybe she wasn't so neglected after all.

Her parents headed inside and she went directly around the house and headed for the tree. She froze at the sight before her. Ray was in front of the tree with a picnic laid out. It looked much like the romantic one he had prepared for their "Book of Firsts." He was not dressed any differently; faded jeans and a T-shirt, but time and genetics had graced him with height and an athletic frame. She could mark just how long she'd been gone by the physical changes in Ray. If it had not been for the solid footprint of friendship in the foundation of their years together she would have fallen in love at first sight.

"Hey Lily."

Her thinking process was jumpstarted at the sound of his voice. His soft tone, the pleading look, and the romantic setting and all she could think was. _Oh no, not again. I can't do this; I can't hurt him again_.

At that very moment a camera flashed and Ray doubled over laughing. It was the annoying one that made her want to hit him in places more tender than his arm. She was utterly confused until she saw Robbie and Audrey peer out from behind the tree and several of her other classmates and friends walking toward her from the other side of the house shouting "Welcome home!" Her parents came out of the house setting up tables and chairs for the additional guests.

Ray came toward her wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Woooo, that was **priceless**. Shoulda seen your face, Lily!" At her continued glare he draped his arm across her shoulders and put on his best pout, "Aw, come on, Lily, it was just a little prank, a spoof on our history so to speak." She stared, fascinated at the changes in him and found it hard to believe there had been no "tweaking" in Ray's life. To cover her confusion she put her fist solidly into his abdomen, soft with unawareness. This time when he doubled over she smiled and strode forward to give Robbie a hug.

Robbie had changed as well but at least there was always the trademark hairstyle. She wondered if there would be graduation photos and wedding videos with the same style. "Hey Robbie, how have you been?"

He nodded his head toward Ray, "Just trying to keep this guy in line."

"And you couldn't have seen fit to keep this from happening?" She gestured to the picnic blanket and romantic luncheon spread beneath them.

Ray interrupted, "I'll have you know, it was all his doing. He's even got the camera behind his back. And why'd you have to look so horrified anyway?"

Lily could see Robbie was now slyly trying to pass the camera to a giggling Audrey behind his back. He tried to deter the inevitable. "I had to get you back for that pink hair photo; it seems to turn up every time I have a crush on a new girl." She glared playfully and brought her hand up and cracked a knuckle. "C'mon, Lily, we're even now." Robbie wasted not a second further and took off at a sprint with Lily on his heels.

The evening was grand as she reacquainted herself with her friends, classmates, and her own family. Her parents had planned the whole affair and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The guys were in heaven and made it their personal quest to ensure that there were no leftovers. Lily was able to catch up with everyone and was somewhat surprised to find out that Audrey had just recently stepped in as a part-time conspirator at RFR. She was now the new female presence to keep the testosterone in check. Robbie said it was working out just great and that Audrey had her own little following of fans.

After the crowd had left, the trio was sitting under the great tree with Lily sitting between them. They chatted about everything from Lily's activities in New York and Travis' latest achievement in London to the latest news in Roscoe. When Robbie and Ray shifted the conversation to skits and intros for RFR's upcoming school year they caught Lily smiling wistfully.

Robbie bumped her shoulder with his. "Wanna go see the old station?"

She looked at him, so grateful that he could always tap into the heart of the matter. "Absolutely."

When they got to the warehouse, Robbie handed her the key. She looked down at the metal object letting her fingernail skip down the jagged edge. She jabbed the key in and simultaneously twisted while giving the door the sideways yank that always allowed the bolt to slide free. She stepped into the darkened studio and felt like she had crossed into that magic realm always foretold in children's books. If she had felt nostalgia for her house earlier it increased tenfold for this hidden trove of memories. She went to her chair and lifted her headphones. "So I guess Audrey wears these now?"

Ray answered her, "Actually, Robbie runs the booth, I sit in his old spot and she sits in mine." As if sensing her mood he instead went to his old chair. Lily sat down with a smile and Robbie joined them at the table.

The old chair groaned as Ray leaned back with a sigh, "There's only one thing missing."

Lily smiled sadly, "Travis."

Ray grinned at her, "Snacks. I was thinking of snacks, you know a bag of chips or maybe…OW! That hurts!" He tossed the "edit button" ball back to her with a grin and without thinking she began to rub her finger along the label that was still stuck to the table in front of her chair. It read "Lily's Place."

Robbie laughed heartily at their old antics, "Well, let's just call him."

Lily looked at Robbie like he was insane. "It's about two in the morning there!"

Ray dropped his chair back to all fours, "Duh, Lily. They run a night club, they ought to be awake."

Lily swung her incredulous look towards Ray, "Well, it may be Travis' night off and he's catching up on his sleep."

Robbie went to the booth to grab the phone and switch on the power for the board so they could all listen on their headphones. He was already dialing numbers and dodging Lily's attempt to steal the phone as he laid out his justification. "Look, if anyone other than Travis answers, we can just hang up. It's not like this is a listed number." He shoved the receiver in her direction and at the violent shake of her head he stressed his words through clenched teeth, "It's ringing."

She snatched the receiver with a glare, her heart hammering wildly as the phone continued to ring. She willed her breathing to slow and was about to give up when she heard the click of an open connection.

"H'Lo?" She knew it was Travis. If his falling-asleep-voice had made her feel warm, his soft and inviting slur upon waking sent a white hot shot of electricity down her spine and she felt a flush rise up her neck to her cheeks.

"Travis? It's Lily. Did I wake you? I'm so sorry." She said this while firing the "edit button" ball at the side of Ray's head. While he had the cat-like reflexes to duck the projectile, his co-ordination skills were not enough to keep his leaning chair from giving way under the sudden movement and he went down with a crash.

"Oh, it's O.K. Lily, I just dozed off. I was attempting to wait up for my uncle. What's that noise? Are you O.K.?"

"Actually, I'm good. I'm at the RFR station with the guys. Is it O.K. if we switch on the board and all of us can listen?" She had wanted to alert him of their mixed company before anything embarrassing could be said.

At his assent she nodded at Robbie. He flipped the switch and they donned their headphones.

Ever the impatient one, Ray shouted out first, "YO! Swami! How's life at da club?"

Robbie continued on that train of thought, "Yeah, I'll bet you've got the doors busting off their hinges trying to fit in all the new fans."

"Basically, no, we're running about the same. Pulling in a small profit but not really making a dent in the competition. I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to improve our status."

Lily was confused. "They don't like your new music?"

Travis' voice lowered to a shy and uncertain tone. "I wouldn't say that. I just haven't played too many of the new ones; I'm kind of feeling them out. The regulars seem to like them, but that's just it, everyone is a regular. There's no new business."

Ray jumped in once more, "What do you mean you haven't played too many? That stuff is great! You gotta take risks to get profits."

Robbie argued, "Just do it to be heard, man! Don't worry about the numbers."

"This is not about me. I'm not worried about the numbers or the profits. I just want my uncle to be happy." Travis sighed as he heard Robbie and Ray continue to bicker about the best method for improving attendance.

Lily heard the exasperation in Travis' sigh. "Don't worry too much about it, Travis. They just don't know the best DJ from RFR like we do."

"Lily, nobody knew I was a DJ at RFR." She heard his chuckle. "You can tell those two to shut it or they'll argue all night."

"Travis! That's IT!" All heads snapped in her direction.

"What's it?"

"You have to be Smog, Travis." Lily was squirming with excitement.

"I am Smog, not that it does me a lot of good."

Robbie was catching on now and started to stand but sat quickly when he reached the end of his headphone tether. "She means you have to be the unknown X factor. People will clamor to know who you really are, kind of like they did for RFR! Lily, you're a genius!"

Travis was silent for a beat. "That is a good idea but I'm already known. I've been playing for a while now."

Ray's confusion finally lifted and he joined in on the brainstorm. "Ah, but you're young and part-time at that. It would be easy to understand the need for a new DJ. Problem is, even incognito you'd still be a part-timer."

"Not really. I've taken some courses throughout the summer and will be done with my studies in a couple of months. I can graduate early."

Lily was beside herself with excitement, she hadn't felt this kind of rush in a very long time. "So how would you remain anonymous in a club full of people?"

Robbie and Ray were in stereo, "Pitch control!"

Travis chimed in. "We could tint the booth or change the glass! This could work guys!"

Lily could almost envision Travis narrowing his eyes and nodding his head with enthusiasm. "Travis, it already has! Now it's not just a small-town idea, it's a global concept!"

"Lily, you really are a genius. I'm going to ask Barty tonight. Wish me luck."

Both Robbie and Ray did so, but Lily responded differently, "You don't need luck, Travis, just faith in your abilities."

Travis couldn't really respond like he wanted with so many ears listening so he simply said, "Yeah."

Robbie sensing the end of the conversation was near stated boldly, "Count us down one more time, Smog."

"Five, four, three, two, one…."

Robbie changed the line-up and started out, "This is Radio…" and pointed to Ray.

"Free."

"Roscoe…This is Shady Lane saying Goodnight London."

Laughter went around the room. And softer Lily added, "Sweet dreams, Smog."

"You too, Lily…you too."

She disconnected and leaned back with a proud and happy grin. As Robbie and Ray went on animatedly making more plans for Travis, she caught sight of the label on the table once again. "Lily's place." With a sigh, she began to wonder exactly where that was.

****

A/N: Just little old me. Asking nicely like my momma taught me. Please, pretty please, might you be so kind as to leave a little something in a review? I would be so grateful. Recommendations? Opinions? Inane comments that have absolutely nothing to do with this story? I don't care, put something in that little box. It's a lovely gift you know…a little bouquet of words.


	20. The Anonymous Men

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: This space left intentionally blank. (What can I say, I'm a smartass.)

Because I Know You

Chapter Twenty: The Anonymous Men

Travis had no sooner disconnected with Lily and the guys when his uncle and Vic walked through the door of the flat. He leapt from his bed and headed to the kitchen to put their plan into action. He caught his uncle pulling covered dishes from the fridge, "Here, let me do that."

Barty gladly stepped aside as Travis began to heap some food onto plates and place them one at a time into the microwave. Barty went to the couch and put his feet up onto the table in front on him. A long sigh escaped him as he let his head fall back. "It's the weekend. The weekend, mind you, and still we have been running in place. I'm beginning to wonder if we are just going to be small potatoes."

Travis brought around the first steaming plate. Ignoring Vic's outstretched hand he placed it in front of his uncle. "I had an interesting conversation tonight about improving the attendance at Two-Tone"

Vic sneered at him. "Did ya now?"

Travis narrowed his eyes at him; Vic had not gotten over being snubbed for the DJ slot. Travis walked back into the kitchen to prepare the second plate. He continued to talk with Barty. "It's a gimmick really. The DJ should go incognito, be anonymous."

His uncle's mood was not lifted. "Gimmicks like that rarely work, mate. You've got to have solid reasons for people to come."

Travis brought the second plate around and held it just out of Vic's reach for a moment so that he would be forced to make eye contact. The man really was acting like an elementary school bully. He snatched the plate from Travis' hand. With a sad shake of his head, Travis continued speaking to Barty.

"I disagree. You must have solid reasons for people to stay. We have that. We need to find a way to get them to come in the first place. I believe this will do the trick."

Barty leaned forward and began to move his food around with his fork, "What exactly would that be then?"

"Like I said, we hide my identity. Darken the glass and change my voice with pitch control. Anonymity frees me up to say more and play more. I've got new music to try too. You've heard some of it."

Barty's eyes snapped to Travis'. "You mean you've been holding back on me?" He looked exasperated for a moment as if he was about to rebuke him for not giving his all, then thought better of it. "Is it as good as what I've heard?"

Travis grinned, "I think it's better."

Vic interrupted with a mouth full of food, "Well, alright den, so ooo ave new tunes." He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "But so what if they can't see you! How's that change anything?"

"I don't know that it will." Travis paused for a moment and decided to trust them with the secret of RFR. "It worked for us in Roscoe. We had our own radio station, an underground radio station, we had to keep ourselves unknown and create aliases. The people seemed enamored with the secrecy of it all."

His uncle still looked doubtful although Vic's expression had changed with the mention of the underground station. Travis went in for the kill. "People have always fallen in love with the unknown man. The Lone Ranger, Zorro, The Phantom of the Opera. People always try to find out who is behind the mask."

Vic stuck his fork in midair with exuberance. "Yeah, mate! Like on Scooby Doo!"

Travis looked down at Vic with one eyebrow raised. "Something like that." He shifted his gaze back to Barty, waiting for his opinion.

"Let's do it!"

Travis grinned. He felt the invigoration fill his veins. This was going to work, and it was all because of her. Because of Lily.

* * *

Vic was a born again friend since he had such a nifty project to work on. They had closed the club for a few nights to make the changes. Vic had added the voice modulator, boasting that Travis could sound like anyone from Winston Churchill to God. Travis chose the booming voice that Vic had labeled "God." He had liked the sound of "Let there be music!" booming out of the sound system. The plexiglass was blacked out and locks were added to the gate and the rear door of the booth that led to the service hall, this was the one Travis would be using to go in and out for each session. Who knew what people would try to do if this gimmick was successful.

On their "opening night" Travis refused to let his nerves get to him. He thought of Lily and repeated to himself, _must have faith in my abilities_, over and over. The crowd was a good size one, but the usual for the first weekend night. Hopefully, this would be the last night for anything usual. A few curious people glanced at the booth, Travis actually felt more comfortable knowing he was invisible to them. Ray's voice filled his head…_It's Go Time!_

Travis slid the control for a loud lingering bass note on the synthesizer while simultaneously rolling beams of light across the dance floor to fixate upon the booth. He flipped the voice modulator on and took a deep breath. "THIS IS DJ SMOG." He paused while his new voice reverberated through the club; all attention focused and people began to point to the new glass. "I AM YOUR NEW MODERATOR FOR MUSIC." He heard a few whistles and catcalls. "COMMENCE DANCING IN FIVE…FOUR…THREE…TWO…ONE!" He let the bass of one of his best tunes bust out of the system and the crowd went crazy. Travis began to let his hands glide across the turntable and let the world get to know Travis Strong, even if it was only anonymously.

After the club finally shut down for the night, Travis wearily went up to the flat. He was bone tired, but it was a good tired. He would have to say the night was a "booming" success. Now if the word spread like it should, Two-Tone should be seeing increasing numbers very soon. He wanted to call Lily but knew it was too late. Besides he didn't want to keep her up all night again. He found the photo they had used for her second single and was gazing at it when Barty trudged in and leaned on the doorframe to Travis' room.

"That your missus?"

"She's very important to me, if that's what you're asking." Travis' eyes never left her photo. "She's important to you as well, if everything goes as planned. This was mostly her idea."

Barty came closer to peer at her picture, "Pretty lass. I can see now why you meditate so often."

Travis looked up at Barty in confusion. "Pardon?"

His uncle laughed heartily, "Travis, If I'd left behind a gorgeous lady like that who had brains to boot, I'd be stressed too."

The flush rose in Travis' face. "Well, if you become Daddy Warbucks because of this gimmick, you'll be paying my way for a visit to New York."

Barty clapped Travis' shoulder with a wicked grin, "Gladly granted, mate."

* * *

Lily had returned to Julliard only to find that the feeling of unfulfillment had not only returned but had intensified as well. She just wasn't as happy and content with her classes as she had been before. As wonderful an opportunity as this was, it was not where she wanted to be. She was consumed with foolishness and guilt at the very thought; she was the one who had pushed so hard to get here.

She was distracted as well. Travis had called to congratulate her for the success of Two-Tone. Attendance had been steadily increasing since Smog had debuted and the competition was taking notice and applying some new tricks to stave off their losses. She had quickly set him straight about who was really behind the sudden popularity of the club. He called often to relay the increasing numbers and his excitement about being a DJ, albeit an unknown DJ. She would have given anything to be there with him and fearlessly told him so. To her surprise he had agreed. It was unusual for him to want for something much less openly admit it. This distracted her even more.

Her classical music instructor had noticed her shift in mood. He had handed her a slip of paper and requested she study the particular music composition written on it, suggesting that it would gather her focus. Now she was sitting in the library at one of the listening stations trying to keep her mind on that task and fighting the urge to put one of the RFR recordings into the CD drive. She wondered how she would ever get through the next few years if she felt this uneasy right now.

"May I sit here?" A deep and soothing voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Sure," she replied, "But it's kind of bright there, the sunlight from that window kept getting in my eyes so I moved over to this one." It had been one of those blindingly beautiful but bitterly cold, clear sunny days that only the coming of winter can bring.

The young man sat in the rays from the window turning his face into its warmth, "Eh, I'm used to it." He was a lean man, trim with warm olive skin, his longish hair, brown and unkempt, but it was his eyes that held her attention. They seemed to change colors depending on the tilt of his head and were intense and inviting at the same time. It was a little eerie how he would hold her gaze. "So, you must be Lily Randall."

Lily nearly fell out of her chair. "Excuse me? How do you know my name?"

He smiled warmly. "Everyone is talking about the Lily the London Liaison. Quite a bit of excitement was caused by students clamoring to be the next big trend in DJ history."

She winced; she didn't want to be known as a troublemaker here. She'd only wanted to help Travis. "So everyone knows me, but I still don't know you, what can I call you?"

Again he smiled softly, turning his face into the sun again, "Oh, it's an unusual name, but you can call me J."

"Just J?" At his nod, she asked, "And what does Just J study at Julliard?"

"Oh, I don't study music. I study people. I'm more of a…" he paused looking for the correct word, "Teacher's Assistant."

"Oh." She glanced back at her notes on the composition with a sigh. "Maybe you can assist me with this."

He sidestepped her request. "You don't seem like the other students here. Most of them are tripping over their own feet trying to impress the instructors or outperform a fellow student. You just seem to be going through the motions." He ducked his head lower to try to catch her attention. "Why is that?"

Lily glanced sideways at him, talk about hitting the nail on the head. "This was always my dream. I worked so hard to get here, to learn about music. Music is so much a part of me that I wanted to be trained by the best. Now that I'm here…" she trailed off because she didn't quite know how to explain it.

J pressed his lips together nodding sagely. "Ah, so you're one of those."

"One of what?"

"Dogwoods in the wild." At her curious and open stare he continued. "In the south, there is a flowering tree, a dogwood. It's quite common really and used highly in landscaping for it's beautiful foliage." Lily turned to face him more directly and motioned for him to go on. "But it can be rather tricky to plant, especially to transplant. A lot of time, care, and sometimes special soils are used to keep it healthy."

Lily smirked, "So I'm difficult to cultivate?"

"You didn't let me finish." Lily rolled her eyes with a smile and he tried again. "The thing is that this beautiful little tree flourishes in the wild. Out in the woods it can be found it's beautiful flowers shining like a beacon. And it grows there, all on its own." Lily was staring openly now as he stated quite clearly. "Naturally."

He turned his face once more to catch the sunlight and Lily blinked. "You mean you got all that from my one statement?"

J chuckled. "Well, let's just say I listen well; I'm used to that too." He rose from his chair and stretched tall before relaxing into a more natural stance.

Lily's brow furrowed slightly in confusion and she pursed her lips for a moment before asking, "So, you're saying I should just have faith in my natural abilities?"

A mysterious grin crossed his face as he looked down at her, "Hmmm, faith. Yes, something like that." He turned to go with a wave of his hand.

It wasn't until he'd left the library that Lily realized J had never cracked a book or listened to anything but her. She wondered exactly what kind of assistant he was.

A/N: O.K. so who thought that it was Travis who interrupted her at the library? Gotcha. So do I still have everyone in the dark? Only one more chapter, y'all, The finale. You'll have to tell me if it's a grand finale. I'm getting all emotional about it. I don't know that I'll be able to see to type. I'll have to be brave like Sini and type without seeing. Drop me a line, what do you think? I promise to have one more review beg for the finale, y'all seemed to enjoy them as much as the story itself. (I did too.)


	21. Coming Home

Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR; I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Holy Snot! You mean I made it through this entire thing without a review from The Truth Reeper? I don't know whether to feel relieved or neglected. Just Kidding.

Special thanks to Dangrassi, who innocently helped bust me out of a writer's block and whose stories inspire me to maintain a level of quality and a tone of truth. Well, except for that Nutso Roscoe thing. Thanks, Dahling!

READ ON, PEOPLE! THIS IS IT! AND IT'S LOOONNNG!

Because I Know You

Chapter Twenty-One: Coming Home

Lily had been a little shaken by Just J's alarmingly accurate assessment of her situation. Stubbornly, she plodded along through her courses as if to prove him wrong. With the coming of spring she realized that it was pointless to deny it. A dogwood in the wild, it was a beautiful analogy, no doubt. Lily kept thinking more and more that perhaps Just J was right. Perhaps she could achieve her dreams without having to attend the best school available. Yet, if she wasn't going to learn at Julliard where would she go? Surely, going back home to Roscoe would not bring her any closer to her goals. It seemed like such a step back, but what a comforting and safe step that would be. She decided to check in with Ray just to bounce her thoughts off of him.

She grabbed the phone and made herself comfortable on the couch, dialing his number effortlessly.

"Brennan residence, this is Ray speaking."

"Parents home, Ray?"

"You know it! It's also good practice for that fall-back job of telemarketing."

"How is everything?"

"You know, in all the years I have known you, that question usually means something is up with you."

Lily sighed, long and deep. "Busted. I'm wondering what I'm doing here."

Ray cleared his throat, very Waller-like. "Well, let's tick if off, shall we? Point A, you are chasing your dream of being a star, Point B, you are learning how to chase your dream to be a star, and Three, you are learning from the best how to chase your dream to be a star.

Lily half-heartedly laughed. "I know all that. But I'm wondering if there might be a better way."

Ray was serious in his response, "Better than Julliard?"

"Better for me, Ray." She told Ray of her conversation with J in the library.

Ray was dutifully silent; knowing that Lily needed a confidante and not a comic. When she finished he was skeptical. "You got all these feelings of doubt from one conversation with a dude you don't even know? A dude with a strangely detailed knowledge of trees and you're taking his life changing advice?"

The exasperation was evident in Lily's voice. "The feelings were already there, Ray. O.K., yes the man was a little…odd, but that doesn't mean he was wrong. Sometimes angels tread in the shoes of strangers."

Ray summed it up for her. "So you're not happy there."

It always seemed simple to her when Ray said it. She replied accordingly. "No."

"Well then, Lily, the choice is obvious."

She was leaning forward, eager to hear a solution to her problem. "Yeah, Ray?"

"Make like a tree and leave."

She groaned at the obvious pun, she could just see Ray puffing out his chest and nodding his head at his own humor. Oddly enough, deep in her gut, that's exactly what she wanted to do.

* * *

Business at Two-Tone was now, as Robbie had put it, busting the hinges off of the doors. This was an honest increase in regular business and not just overflow from the better-known clubs nearby. Smog was a hit, the people loved the mystery and as predicted there were a few incidents that required security when people would try to investigate. The locks on the access door had to be upgraded. Travis usually started off with some quotation as he had usually done whenever he spoke at RFR. Then he would count it down and blast the speakers with some new song of his. He loved to throw in bits of quotations into the music and often had Barty and Vic do voiceovers for him with the modulator. The little trills of miscellaneous instruments that Lily had collected at Julliard were interesting to work with and became crowd favorites. Two-Tone had officially made its mark.

Travis spoke with Lily as often as he could. Lily was thrilled with the success and laughed at the antics of the clubgoers' attempts at discovering Smog's identity. He was beginning to notice that with each phone call she would divert the conversation more and more to the happenings in London rather than discuss what was going on in her life. Such avoidance usually meant there was a problem. He was determined to discover its source.

He purposely called late one evening to ensure that she would be home.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Lily."

"Travis! Hey, I miss you!"

He flushed a little; it was nice that she always mentioned that first. "I miss you too."

"Nah, you're too busy being Mr. Popular DJ to really miss me. How are things?"

"Well, you are definitely mistaken there, Ms. Randall. I miss you more now than I ever have. Besides I want to talk about you."

Lily laughed nervously, "What's to talk about? I eat, study, sleep, study, eat, and study. Not too exciting, I'm sure it's nothing like London."

"Oh no you don't, Lily, don't shift the topic back to me."

She was silent for a moment and then sighed. "Don't worry about me, Travis. I'm fine."

"Not by the sound of that sigh you aren't. Lily, trust me, I know when something is wrong with you. I need to know that you are O.K. It's important to me, you are important to me."

Lily finally broke. She gave an even longer shuddering sigh as if the pressure from withholding the information had been particularly stressful.

"Well, it will be good to talk with you about it." And she told him everything she had been feeling, of her conversation with the mysterious J, and of her phone call with Ray. "Really, Travis, I should just leave. I just don't know where to go. Ray says I should just come home."

For some reason, that statement made Travis nervous. "Ray wants you to come home?"

"Yeah, he says everybody loves me there, and he's right."

Travis' nervousness increased. "Do you want to go home?"

"I don't know, yeah, I feel safe there, but will that get me where I'm supposed to be?"

"There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity."

"You're quoting famous military men now?" She sounded amused and he was grateful.

"Well, it seemed to fit your situation. I stick by what I said in the park that night, remember?"

Lily's voice became soft and husky. "I'll never forget it. I'll do what is best for me and I'll be fine."

Her intimate tone caused his throat to constrict and he responded in just as husky a whisper. "Exactly."

He paused; he wanted to tell her how much he wanted to see her but did not want to add to her confusion. Then he remembered how his reticence with his emotions had put this much distance between them and spoke clearly. "I miss you, Lily. If you do decide to go home, I would love it if you took the long way, by route of London, it's a beautiful diversion."

Her voice had moved beyond flirtation and dipped into the realm of seduction. "Hmmm, a beautiful diversion…yes, I'm sure you are."

* * *

After his conversation with Lily, Travis slowly began to realize what she had been feeling for he began to feel it himself. It was a strange feeling to be suddenly so restless. He had never really been in one place long enough to suffer through it. But now, combined with his desire to be with Lily, it was almost overwhelming. Her mention of Ray asking her to come home had certainly unnerved him. Several attempts to email Ray had been unsuccessful; Ray had probably forgotten his password and username again. He decided that they were mature enough to have a man-to-man discussion, as Ray liked to say, and just called him.

"Yo, Swami, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Ray was obviously enjoying an afternoon snack, a crunchy afternoon snack. Travis grimaced in disgust and held the receiver slightly farther away from his ear. "Probably your lagging memory capacity. I've been trying to email you for days."

"Um, yeah, haven't gotten around to searching for that password. So what's up?"

"I need to talk to you about Lily."

"Ah, yes, our beautiful New York Lady. What about her?"

"She seems restless and unhappy, and mentioned leaving Julliard." Travis could hear Ray resume munching on his chips. "She said you wanted her to come home."

The crunching stopped as if Ray suddenly realized where this conversation was headed. "Whoa, hey, correction…I said she would be welcome to come home where everyone loved her."

"Including you?" Travis winced at the sound of his voice, he had not intended to sound so petty.

Ray's anger flared and it was obvious in his tone. "I'm always going to love her, she's my best friend." He sighed. "Travis, I know we've had tension before regarding Lily. I do love her, always will, but it's just a different sort of love. She has earned my devotion and I will always try to protect her and make her feel at home."

Travis hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, Ray. I just want to help her too. I'm just so far away, I'm not used to feeling so helpless."

Ray paused only briefly, "It's O.K., man. I'm quite surprised really."

"By what?"

"The two of you. She's in New York, you're in London, and still the both of you haven't figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"Travis, I'm going to speak to you in terms you can understand."

Travis laughed and went along with the charade. "What? Small words?"

"Nope!" Ray continued jovially, popping a chip into his mouth and speaking around it. "Baseball my friend. I thought for sure by now you'd be sliding for home."

* * *

A few more weeks had passed and Lily had made up her mind, she was leaving Julliard. She had told her parents. They were disappointed but supportive. Lily was amused at her father's obvious relief. He had tried to hide it from her. When prompted, he admitted it would have been quite a stretch financially if she had continued for the next few years. It took a little more convincing for them to let her travel alone to her desired destination. London.

Time to put her plan into action. She'd waited until she knew Travis would be in the DJ booth as Smog. Then she dialed his number hoping to reach his uncle.

"Lo?"

"May I speak to Barty Strong, please?"

"Who's callin and what's your business?"

"Lily Randall." Obviously, she had gotten hold of Vic. "I'm calling from New York. May I speak to him please?"

"Well, well, if it isn't the infamous Lily Randall. I must hand it to you, this club is what it is cause of you."

"Thanks, I think."

"You've got ole Travis in quite a tizzy too."

"Excuse me?"

"Goes 'bout, flipped upside down, supposedly meditatin'. Ends up flopped over staring at your picture. If ya ask me, all's he's doin' is keepin' the baseboards dust-free."

"Oh." Lily felt a flush rise in her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed that this strange man knew about her and Travis.

"Here's Barty for ya. You get any more brilliant ideas, you let ole' Vic know, eh?"

Lily heard some muffled conversation before a booming voice came on the line.

"Strong, here."

"Uh, hello, Mr. Strong. This is Lily Randall."

"THE Lily Randall?! Blimey, I owe you one. Well, you and Travis. I don't think we'd be where we are if it weren't for you two kids. I think Vic got the wrong guy, I'll fetch Travis for you."

"Wait! Uh, I needed to talk you, sir."

"Oh my, lass, don't call me sir, people will think I'm old. Well, they already think that, but let's not give in to it. What can I do for you?"

"I want to come to London…and I want it to be a surprise for Travis' birthday."

"I hate to burst your bubble but Travis doesn't like surprises, especially birthday surprises."

Lily laughed, "Well, he'll like mine, the last party I planned for him was the best he'd ever been to, he told me so."

Lily told him of her plan and Barty agreed whole-heartedly. His infectious personality buoyed her spirit and she was finally looking forward to the future with enthusiasm.

* * *

Travis needed to get outside for a while. The close quarters of the DJ booth now exacerbated his restlessness. He found a CD of some pre-recorded mixes, set the booth for auto-pilot as Vic called it, and snuck out of the club. He leaned against the sidewall of the building and just watched the people go by. A misshapen lump at the corner caught his attention. As he approached he saw the lump was actually a man, a bum, or homeless person.

He felt no fear and noticed the man was watching him intently. "Can I help you?" Travis asked politely.

"The question is: Can **I** help **you**?" The man looked up at Travis with kaleidoscope eyes.

Travis cocked an eyebrow at him, "What makes you think I need help?"

"Possibly the slumped shoulders and the dejected sigh when all about you the young and beautiful are having the times of their lives?"

Travis gave the man a weak grin. "Oh, that."

The man laughed, "Must be a woman." He shifted on the sidewalk and scratched at his dirty brown hair.

Travis' amusement rose. "Well, yes. She's in New York and I am here. She's unhappy and wants to travel back to home, that's Roscoe Canada by the way, and I'll still be…. here."

The man narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, _"My home is not a place, it is people."_

"Yes." Travis replied.

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life: That word is love."

"That's Sophocles. You know Sophocles?"

"Yes." The man grinned mysteriously.

"But what is love?" Travis asked, intrigued now by this conversation.

"What else is love but understanding and rejoicing in the fact that another person lives, acts, and experiences otherwise than we do?" He paused to let Travis ponder this statement.

Travis recognized the quote again. Nietzsche. He threw out another question. "And how does one know if they are in love?"

"Perhaps the feeling that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be." At Travis' questioning glance, the man provided the source. "Anton Chekov."

Travis again digested this information, nodding his head. "Well, yes, but how will I know what to do now?"

The mysterious stranger challenged him, "And what does our good friend Sophocles say about knowledge?"

Travis frowned for just a moment and then his eyes widened with an epiphany. _"Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test which is not fanciful, save by trial."_

The man grinned triumphantly, "Good for you!"

Travis had turned to go but stopped short. "Thank you."

The man dismissed him with a wave. "You knew all that. I'm just a figment of your subconscious here to pluck it out into the open." As Travis narrowed his eyes in a questionable gaze the man offered, "Or I'm just a bum who spends a lot of time in public libraries. Whatever works for you." He got off the ground, rearranged his bulky layers of dilapidated clothing, and then shuffled around the corner.

Travis knew then what he needed to do.

He went back in the club and skillfully dodged his way through the crowd. He re-entered the booth through its rear door, careful once again not to attract attention. He took control of the panel and did what he was supposed to do. Become Smog. This night, however, seemed interminably long as he waited for closing time to arrive.

At long last the club was quiet and Travis hurriedly organized the booth for the next night before bolting upstairs to the flat.

He burst through the door, "Barty!"

"Where's the fire, mate? I'm right here." Barty poked his head from the entrance to the galley kitchen.

Travis wasted no time. "I want to go to New York!"

This threw Barty for a moment, he hesitated as he struggled to find a way to keep Travis settled until Lily's surprise arrival.

"Now? It's not exactly a good time, Travis."

"I wasn't talking about tonight, I want to go as soon as possible."

Uh Oh, thought Barty. "What on earth is your hurry, son?"

"I need to see Lily. Now." His expression was that of a fierce warrior about to go into war for his deepest beliefs.

Barty hoped to pass the buck to Lily, "Well, why don't you call her, I'm sure that will calm your nerves some. She should still be aw…"

Travis cut him off with such a threatening tone that even Barty took a faltering step back. "You don't GET it. I didn't either until tonight. This is not something that I can do over the phone."

Realization kicked in for Barty. Young Travis has figured out he's utterly and completely in love. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Travis took Barty's hesitation as a sign of weakness and pulled out his ace. "You owe me."

"No."

"Pardon?" Travis couldn't believe he'd heard right.

"I said No."

"Come on, Uncle. I need this."

"And I need you, Travis. I know it's a lot to ask of you but Two-Tone is really just hitting its stride. You can't leave now."

Travis narrowed his eyes, "I can record mixes and intros and have you set. I could leave in three days."

"You and I both know that would be substandard and probably not plausible. What if a fight broke or some accident occurred and the booth would be happily playing on as if nothing were amiss?" He hoped Travis would see reason. He felt such guilt; if it hadn't been for Lily's request to surprise Travis, Barty would have drove him to the airport tonight. He hated to deceive him in such a way.

Travis could feel his blood pressure rising. He whirled around with a yell, "Son of a B…"

"Barty!" Yelled Vic as he burst through the door and came face to face with an enraged Travis.

"What's up yours, mate?" Vic asked amiably, only slightly concerned.

Travis shoved him aside and slammed the door on his way out.

Vic turned toward Barty with his lips pursed and eyebrows raised, "You know, they say guys can be pre-menstrual too. I'd never really believed it till now."

Barty released his tension with a slow chuckle. "C'mon Vic, we've got a surprise party to plan."

* * *

Everything had worked out wonderfully. Lily had spent the next couple of weeks hammering out the details of her plan via email with Barty and Vic. Her academics tutor, bless her, had said she could finish her last couple of credits via correspondence. Her parents were to join her in London after a month for a much-needed vacation, per Barty's generosity. Lily was about to spontaneously combust with excitement. And like magic it seemed, her plane had just arrived in Heathrow, on Travis' birthday. Barty had said he'd send someone for her and that he'd be holding a sign.

She endured many shoves and jostles and was nearly knocked over flat when she'd stopped suddenly upon seeing her escort. He was an average sized man, thin and wiry with ghoulish spiked hair of purple and orange. She couldn't decide whether he had more piercings or tattoos. The astounding thing was that he hadn't been arrested. There he was looking all the world like a common hoodlum holding a sign that read:

Lily Randall  
Heroin wanted  
For  
Da Club.

He'd probably meant heroine. Now she understood why Travis was so amused by this man. She strode forward and held out her hand. "I guess I qualify for that position."

Vic looked at her strangely, "I'm sorry, lass, you're a little young. I'm just here to escort someone."

"Vic, it's me. Lily Randall."

"Oh. OH! So sorry, my minds not in the proper place, it's an early morning after such a late night in the club." He casually lifted her carryon from her shoulders. "Follow directly behind me, lass, these travelers can be viscious. Let's go!"

Lily now realized how Ray must feel always getting punched in the arm. It was a relief to leave the swarm of people for the safety of a cab.

Vic began chatting amiably. "Well, you'll be staying in my room at the flat, I believe it's safe, a decontamination unit was called in."

Lily smiled hesitantly at his weird humor.

Vic continued, "Travis won't leave for the booth until later tonight. So, Ms. Randall, I was told to keep you entertained until the coast was clear. What would you like to do? Eat? No, wait, I know! Girls like to shop."

Lily pondered for a moment. "Yes and no."

Vic rolled his eyes, "Not you too." All he needed was another wavering premenstrual teen in close proximity to him.

Lily smirked, "I would like to shop but not like most girls. Where could I find some decent music equipment? You know, guitar strings, picks, amps…et cetera, et cetera?"

Vic's expression seemed glazed and blank, a stark contrast to his next statement. "Marry me."

Lily laughed merrily and Vic was tickled to have amused her as he leaned forward and gave the cabbie new directions.

She watched as the sights of the city rolled by, amazed at her emotions. Even though she had never been to London before, the sights and sounds gave her a warm comforting feeling, as if returning home from a long road trip and finally seeing the familiar signs that you were nearing home.

* * *

It was ironic to Travis that he was now angry at being asked to stay somewhere as opposed to being uprooted. Travis birthday arrived and his mood had not improved. He had avoided Barty and Vic carefully the last couple of weeks and simply did as he was told. He was beginning to feel like some caged freak circus animal. _Get your tickets! See The Mysterious Smog!_ Well, not _see_ exactly…but that's how it felt. He was disappointed that his uncle seemed more concerned with profits than his own nephew's happiness.

Halfway through the night, Travis had put the booth on auto-pilot with a pre-recorded set of intros and mixes. He was curious to see if his uncle could tell the difference. Maybe if he proved his point, Barty would let him go to New York. Just then the sound system cut out, there was dead silence. Travis was stunned momentarily but the murmur of the crowd caused him to search the control panel frantically for the problem. Barty would have his hide if he caused this with his prerecorded CD. His search was halted by the wail of a lone guitar.

What the hell did Barty think he was doing? All that talk about staying for the sake of Two-Tone and here he was pulling the plug on the booth so someone could play a little guitar. He sat back on his little-used stool with a scowl. Fine, he could sit here all night. He'd meditate if it weren't for the boisterous guitar playing. Admittedly, whoever that was had some talent. The riffs slowed and a simple set of rhythmic chords filled the club.

Travis listened intently for a few moments, he couldn't quite place that melody. It felt as if it was pulling a memory out of him. Well, if Barty was gonna pull his plug, he didn't have to hide in the booth. He grabbed his apron, his busboy disguise, and cracked the back door of the booth peeking out only to find Vic right there with an I-know-something-you-don't-grin plastered across his face.

Travis grilled him, "What is going on? Force me to stay and then usurp the DJ?"

Vic's expression was changed to one of unconcern as he shrugged. "You never know with Barty, he's always scoutin out the talent, mate."

"Well, who is it?"

"If you're so bloody curious, go on then and see for yourself."

As Travis poked his head out of the access door Vic grinned, snatched the apron from him, and gave him a shove. He glared at Vic who sneered in return and disappeared back into the access hallway. Travis was more interested in the scene before him. The customers were obviously enjoying the impromptu show and were strangely standing around an empty spotlight but looking around as if awaiting something. He glared back at the booth, that spotlight hadn't been there before; Vic was in the booth. He was up to something. Travis wondered if he was simply so exhausted that he couldn't see what should be there. He was still concentrating on that simple melody. He knew he should remember it.

Then he heard her.

Clear and strong she broke into the chorus of a song he should have never forgotten, not even for a moment.

This song will find you.  
It will sneak up behind you.  
Just to remind you, how special you are.

He saw motion towards the front of the club and people started parting making room for her. His breath left him as she stepped into the light starting again from the beginning of the simple song. He was drawn to the edge of the spotlight waiting for her. She was beautiful, not just in the physical sense but something more. She was the one vision that every fiber of his being had been longing to see.

She strummed the final chord and was standing in the spotlight waiting. The crowd gave polite applause as if sensing there was more to the show. They were not disappointed.

He finally found his voice and playfully narrowed his eyes and raised his chin in mock defiance, "So, I haven't seen you in two years and you show up on my birthday to sing me some has-been song?"

"Travis!!" She was smiling though. She reached over and punched him on the arm. The crowd was shifting their feet nervously at this unusual display. She unplugged the amp cord and slung her guitar around to her back like some veteran rock star.

Travis looked down at his "wounded" arm and slowly lifted his gaze to her. "Feel better?"

She lifted her chin as well, smiling slyly. "Yes, thanks for asking."

"Good, then it's my turn now." He stepped forward quickly reaching out to cup the nape of her neck and pull her to him for a kiss he had been waiting forever for. She squeaked in surprise and then melted into his arms as the crowd erupted in applause and whistles. Her soft lips parted slightly in shy invitation. He brought both his hands to her face to gently hold her there as he slanted his head to kiss her deeply. He could taste her tears; he could taste her.

Even after all they'd been through Lily had been having doubts about how deep her feelings were for Travis. They fled the moment he kissed her. All that negativity, unfulfillment and indecisiveness disappeared. She was caught in a whirlwind of sensations and memories that were odd to be associated with this passionate kiss. She saw herself being hugged by her parents, and hugging Ray at his first homerun game, and being the DJs for the RFR warehouse party and more vividly sitting with Travis in the softly-lit RFR studio as she told him of her love for guitar. She knew now that home was not a place it was people. People you loved. Travis pulled away from her, stroking her hair back from her tearstained face. He placed his forehead gently against hers.

"Welcome home, Lily."

She couldn't tell if she'd laughed or sobbed. He had always known exactly what she was feeling.

She whispered back, "Happy Birthday, Travis."

"Yes, yes it is."

He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the back of the club amidst the applause of the crowd. The music started once again. Just as they reached the access door it was flung open by Vic and they barrelled through. Vic's grin was lopsided but sincere. "Happy Birthday, mate, not that you deserve it."

Travis gently took Lily's guitar from her and thrust it at Vic. "Take care of that, would ya, MATE."

Again he dragged Lily through the narrow halls and up the stairs to the platform for the entrance to the flat. He dug into his pocket to pull out his keys, struggling to find the right one in his haste. Finally he just threw them to the floor in frustration and pulled Lily to him again. His hands tunneled in her hair and her arms tightened about his waist as they fought for dominance in the kiss.

He spun her around till her back was supported by the door. Her hand fisted in his hair and she pulled his head back so she could speak. "Were you surprised?"

He managed to distract her with a kiss before answering as briefly as possible. "Immensely." He dove back for more. She obliged willingly, this time she initiated the deeper kisses. He tasted of green tea and ginger. Her knees were weakening and on instinct she parted her stance. Travis' instincts responded in kind as he insinuated a strong thigh between hers, she couldn't hold back her moan.

Travis slid his hands down her arms and manuevered them upward above her head as he slid his fingers along the tender flesh of her forearms linking his fingers with hers at their journey's end. He thrust forward with his hips; his weight pinning her against the door. She rolled her head to the side at the feeling. He whispered in her ear, _"Love is ever the beginning of knowledge as fire is of light."_

She reached down to pull on his hair again so she could look into his eyes. "So all those times you said you knew me?"

Travis eyes were intense and soft and vulnerable all at once as he confirmed her wildest wish. "I love you."

She felt the tears fall again and he kissed them away repeating the simple phrase with each kiss. His kisses journeyed down her neck as she finally found her voice. "I love you, too."

At that precise moment, the door opened inward and sent them into a sprawling heap through the entrance of the flat. They both looked up in surprise to see Barty with his hand on the doorknob smiling widely. "Happy Birthday, Travis! Were you surprised?" He gallantly helped Lily off the floor but left Travis to fend for himself.

"Immensely." He grinned at Lily.

Travis sobered somewhat as he looked at his uncle. "So this is the real reason for making me stay? Not the success of the club?"

Barty just smiled softly and offered his hand, "Yeah, sorry for the deception."

Travis grabbed the offered hand and pulled his uncle in for a hug. "Thanks."

They pulled away and assumed the proper manly distance, "You're welcome. Bit of advice though. The next time you press your love against the door, makes sure it's one that won't open away from you." He left the flat with a wink.

The silence engulfed them for a moment. Travis spoke first. "It seems we've got a bit of catching up to do."

Lily nodded her head, "Yeah, we haven't really talked as much lately."

Travis swooped down and grabbed her around the knees and tossed her onto his shoulder. She laughed and pounded his back as he walked. "Put me down!"

"As you wish." He bent over and flopped her onto the couch and pounced. She screamed happily as he situated himself over her. "I wasn't planning on talking."

* * *

Travis woke early the next morning despite being awake for most of the night. After Barty and Vic had returned to the flat they had discussed the future. It seemed Barty was going to pull out all the stops to ensure that Lily's future was as bright as Two-Tone's. Travis was infinitely pleased that she would be staying quite a while.

It had taken all his focus and willpower to remain a gentleman and leave Lily at her temporary room with a soft kiss. He was surprised to find her sitting in the soft morning light at the corner of the sofa. She was wearing a huge white robe and her feet were tucked under her as she wrote sporadically into a notebook. Her hair would fall into her line of vision and she would push it back only to have it fall again. Beautiful seemed such an incompetent adjective to describe what he saw.

"Good morning."

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. "Oh, hi. I couldn't really sleep. I thought I'd write a song to try and relax myself."

He smiled. "Are you hungry?"

She looked upward as if the answer was written on the ceiling. "You got any fruit?"

"Sure."

He went into the kitchen and selected a couple of apples from the basket on the counter. "Heads up." He tossed her the apple. She caught it deftly with one hand and smoothly bit into it with a small, satisfied hum.

He leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen entrance and smiled to himself as he watched her. She interrupted his thoughts.

"What?"

He moved into the room and sat in the lounge chair, maintaining a safe distance from temptation. "You know…in Ancient Greece when a young man wanted to propose he would toss a fair maiden an apple. If she was accepting, she would catch it."

She paused with the apple halfway to her mouth for another bite. Her mouth open in momentary shock. She recovered smoothly, "Well, that's convenient considering it's a physiological reflex to catch an object hurtling at one's head."

Travis lowered his gaze to his own apple and began to twist its stem. "Well, they could just duck."

She resumed eating the apple, after savoring the next bite she said. "Now, that would be a waste of a very good apple."

Travis chuckled, keeping his eyes focused on the fruit in his hands. He was amazed at himself for bringing up such a subject. Again her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Wanna toss me another apple in about another year or so?"

He looked at her through his lashes for a moment before mustering the courage to look at her fully. "Absolutely, but why would my fair maiden request such a thing?"

Her eyes held no doubt or fear as she responded boldly, "Because I know you."

* * *

A/N: Here's the last one folks: Again they aren't mine.

Hermione settled herself at her usual table in Potions class. She reached into her book bag for the necessary supplies for today's lesson. As she rummaged around she realized something was missing…her parchment…her review for that blasted story. She'd just had it. She searched frantically in her panic.

Harry and Ron noticed this flurry and flustered activity, unusual for Hermione.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry whispered.

"I can't find it!" She hissed.

"Find what?" whispered Ron.

Just then, Snape entered the classroom and was striding around his desk when he heard the soft crinkle of parchment beneath his foot. He stepped back, waved his wand, and levitated it for a moment as if inspecting it for pranks.

Hermione recognized it immediately and sank lower in her chair. Snape looked up from reading the parchment and spoke smoothly and calmly.

"Ms. Granger, see me after today's lesson."

Harry and Ron both gave her horrified looks, wondering what on earth she had done.

For once Hermione wished Potions would never end. As with all things superstitious and frivolous, this proved false. She couldn't return the questioning glances and looks of pity that Ron and Harry threw her way as they filed out with the rest of the students.

Snape waited until all had left and sat quietly, letting her simmer in her embarrassment for a while longer. She couldn't bear to look at him. She winced as she heard slow and measured footsteps near her desk. He spoke in that creepy and halting cadence as always.

"I trust that…" he paused to look down at the parchment to be sure of the proper name. "luvsgreeneyes," he sneered, "will not be writing reviews for stories in my class in the future?"

"No, sir."

"I should think not."

She dared to peek up at his scowling face, "H-How did you know it was me, Professor?"

He towered over her, raised an eyebrow, and slowly cocked his head to the side as he spoke, clearly enunciating each word.

"Because…I…know…you…Ms. Granger."

He spun on his heel with a billow of robes trailing him and she heard his sinister little chuckle as he entered his office chambers and spelled the doors shut.

Her eyes widened impossibly as she remembered that not once, in any review, had she written the title of that story…It couldn't be…Could it?

She shivered at the thought and fled the classroom as quickly as possible eager to join her friends.

A/N: So you see, I really AM an evil and twisted person with a strange and warped mind. Write me anyway. Tell me your favorite part or something you may not have liked or your overall impression from this long saga. I hope all who have reviewed in the past and those who haven't will drop me a line.

I'll post a longer note at the close of this story in a day or two. Please read that as well as I wish to express my thoughts more thoroughly regarding this Trily tale.


	22. Last Words

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!! (Had to have some "story" in there)

Please excuse any typos and punctuation errors, I think I'm sooo tired of looking for them. Ha! After this I'm getting an big ole glass of sweetened iced tea and settling in to read a few of y'all's fics!

Yes, dear readers, I have ended this fic.

I believe there are some who may have abandoned it due to its long and winding length. Or perhaps because it changed from a Rily to a Trily. I am grateful to those who read it in its entirety. I'll list some thank you notes at the end but for now I wanted to give a little insight into how this story came to be what it is. So if you are not into that kind of thing scroll down or click on to the next story.

This is probably long for notes too but I feel I deserve it, it is the longest damn story in the fandom. So sue me!

When I read a great story I always think to myself how I would love to know how the author came up with certain things or perhaps why they put it in at all. I like author's notes; it gives me a feel for the person behind the story. You all would laugh to know how this all started. With the finale ep of course but also with my constant play of the CD Parachutes by Coldplay. For some reason, every time I listened to it, I found myself thinking of Lily and Travis. Out popped my ficlet Enlightenment and E Strings, my first baby step toward posting on the internet. After receiving welcoming reviews I made an outline for a longer story. It's laughable really how it differed between where it ended up. Travis never even went to London in that outline. And I nearly bowled over laughing when **xo bella italiana ox** reviewed that she assumed it would end with a big ole romantic scene in the airport because that's exactly how I'd originally planned it. LOL.

You want to know where I got that ending? The dentist's office. No joke. I was sitting there, laid back, with the nitrous flowing, and getting a tooth fixed. I had my Coldplay rolling in the headphones of my CD player and was looking at the stupid TV they have up in the corner that constantly plays tidbits of info and tips for good oral health. LOL. Anyway, up pops this thing about eating healthy and an apple a day. Yada yada yada. And it gives out that tidbit about the ancient Greek proposal. I'm sure the dentist wondered why I grinned. LOL. I could just see Travis pulling out a historical tidbit in any romantic overture.

As for the Gigantuous Twee and the Dogwood? I just love trees. It's the one thing I miss when ever I've traveled somewhere. California, Illinois, Arizona, all were wonderful but I've always loved coming back home to the trees here in Arkansas. Tennessee comes to a close second but for all those darned Volunteer fans running around. Anyway, I had one of those giant trees while growing up. And it's beautiful to drive though our state and see a dogwood peeking out from a forest in full bloom.

The one thing I didn't like about my story is it's beginning. After reaching the 12th chapter, I read it through again and thought: Well, that part might be a little cheesy. I couldn't bring myself to change it because I thought it showed some growth in my writing along the way. A highway marker along this long journey. ;) Oh, and of course the detail error involving Kim. I so wanted it to be true to every nuance of the show. Again, I didn't pull it or change it. I just loved the scene at the dance with Ray's insults. E-vil pez dispenser. I love Pez. It also got me to know Dani a little better which proved beneficial in the long run. ;)

The parts I am most proud of are between Lily and Ray. It's easy to write a love story but much more difficult to portray unrequited love and devoted friendship. I was utterly pleased with the scene after Travis had left between Lily and Ray under the infamous tree. I hoped to make Ray a little more mature in his understanding of Lily's relationship than just a schoolboy with a jealous crush. I wanted to show all of them growing up since this story was going to end at their "12th" year's end.

I wanted to give Audrey some play time as well and not just have her there for a one line retort. I wanted to add depth which is something the RFR writers haven't done for this character. Her perspectives line in Chapter Five is one of my favorites. Also I wanted to make her seem more real and honest in her emotions that that lame break up scene on the show. There was a reason Travis liked her to begin with and I wanted to pull that out.

Of course I loved the scenes with Travis and Lily. The kiss at the dance, if only that had ever happened to me in real life, I'd die a very happy person. I related their emotions to the love of her guitar because that is what pulled me into this mess in the first place. The acoustic and electric sounds all through the Coldplay CD are wonderful. I recommend it highly. My favorite movies involve the central characters being apart but ending together in that wonderful drawn out tension. I was hoping to imitate that.

Other characters: Barty was purely a PA character, Plot Advancement. I hope he was somewhat realistic. Vic is probably my Mary Sue. He is most like me. Music fanatic with absolutely no talent. Full of one-liners and no self edit button. Very amicable to most anyone and just slightly "blonde" in his understanding of the grand scheme of things. That's me in a nutshell. The only difference is he is bold enough to have the tattoo and the piercings. ;) I hope you enjoyed him.

Weirdness in Just J and the bum. I know I have beliefs in the way God handles things but I wanted to make everything just vague enough for the reader to put their own stamp on it. So if they are angels or just weird people, that's up to y'all. I personally believe that there are angels but yet sometimes God calls upon real persons to do His Work for him. It's a wonderful thing when God speaks through you. O.K. enough preaching. On to my thank you's in no particular order whatsoever.

Special thanks again to Dangrassi. I was in a cold sweat about this ending. I knew where I wanted it to end with the apple scene but oh it was terrifying that I didn't know how to get it there. She innocently sent me a song she had heard and thought of my story while listening to it. Bless her, she is my angel. I happened to own that CD from a couple of years ago and on it there was another song that tapped my writing muse of the shoulder. So again, thanks for that. But…I feel I also found a new "cyber friend." Her emails lightened my day. Dani, you are a good person. Yes, we will talk again my friend. LOL!

Also, thanks to Cassandra01000. She too was an email pal. And my sharp pointy stick. She would constantly remind me that I was being a little pokey with my updates, especially for the last. LOL. I was glad to have helped her with her fic and look at her now, getting all those lovely little reviews! You go girl!

That leads me to those of you I didn't correspond with directly but whose messages through reviews and authors notes were still important to me!

Eyes of a child: My first review and my 100th. I just knew your were a glory hog. LOL. Thanks for your input to improve the first chapters.

ihavenoclus, chaotess, angelfromhigh, Drama Queen Confessions, trily=love, yotrilyster, trilyisOMGcool, Robin, Trickster Jaina-Fel, canadianchic14, Trily, The Girl Next Door, dubleohsev, Lindsey, Freakage, Lauren, I AM COW HEAR ME MOO, Charmedgurl76, and ShadySmog: You all added fuel to the fire for me to keep going! Thanks!

rokjai, Magik, archforge: Many reviews from you but oh where oh where do you go? I hope you made it to the end and that you enjoyed it. Thanks for giving me your opinions, they meant a lot.

Obsessed: Are you still obsessed? I hope so, great anonymous names by the way! LOL.

M L Europe: I seem to have lost you too. I hope you read to the end and enjoyed as well. Your reviews cracked me up and made me feel self-pride. Such an important thing.

twirlgirl04: My X-Files fanatic friend. I hoped to have pulled some of that Mulder/Scully romantic tension into this. You can have the X-Files review beg, it is you, I give it to you! LOL!

thoughtprovoked: Thanks so much, I look forward "provoking more thought."

Zen-ish: Thank you so much for your kind words.

Carissa: Hope you finished it, sorry you lost interest at 16.

Slayer2003: You are a good writer and you earned my respect by graciously accepting our stories' similarities and giving me the green light when I had asked. Sign of a professional! Hope you like how it all turned out. Thanks!

rainbowfeet: Thanks to you for putting me in that upper five percent. I am honored.

Ana: Your last review touched my heart. You are most most welcome Dahling. Feel free to drop me an email! Thanks for all your reviews, perhaps you should write a story too. I know I'd be there.

Unknown: You sound an awful lot like Cass, LOL! Thanks.

Deirdre2: I hope you like J now. LOL! Sorry I ended it on you. Thanks for reading.

almostnever: yes the bum was cool. The last review beg, LOL. Well, what can I say, Snape is my favorite HP character, so so mysterious.

Sinilu Silverspell: Ah, Sini. You made me grin…pretty rainbow cubes…a pretty little bouquet of words just for me. Thanks. Sorry, no sex. Not brave enough to write that yet. Maybe someday, LOL! Yes, to that last review beg. Snape as an author, that's just how MY mind works too. Email me, we'll discuss HP plots! LOL!

fictionlynchick: Thanks for reading this. Your writing is so well done as well. It's nice to get reviews from people whose writing I respect!

Alanna Banana: Yes! H/Hr all the way! Glad you like this story.

Claymate: I didn't mean to make you cry, honest. Thanks for reading. Oh, and BTW I'm waiting on an update from you! ;)

beegoo: I'm glad I pulled off a feel for a place I've never been. Thanks for your support and kind words.

RFRbayb20: He came back! Aren't you glad? Well, technically Lily came back but that's all good too. Thanks for reading!

Katie: Awwwww, thanks.

Liz: Your review was special to me because you said you enjoyed the RILY parts too even though you are a T/L fan. Such an honor! Thanks.

Mirroring You: I was worried about Travis' characterization, thanks for easing my fears. Happy ending just for you!

xo bella italiana ox: You just don't know how happy I was each time you reviewed. Bless you. Your story captured Travis so well; I'd hoped you'd like my writing too. Thanks so so much! One review from you could make my week! LOL

Cindy aka no more meat: Oh, oh, oh! More Italian please! I LOVED THAT!!!

Silver Fists: Oh, don't be addicted! There's no 12 step program for fanfiction addiction (oooo, a rhyme)! Your writing is superb as well.

ShadyLanne: Thanks, honestly, Yes the end was good, evem more so because of the odd little way from which it was inspired.

SumPerson714: Falling in love….awesome. Yes I plan to write more someday, hopefully soon.

Reviewchick14: That's O.K. your one review packed a pretty good punch! Thank YOU for reading and thinking I've got talent.

Claddagh Ring: I love those ancient Star Trek shows! LOL! I'm glad you liked it and my story.

Mutant Jedi Bauer: Good Lord, no telling what I said on that board to amuse you. LOL! If it had to do with Legolas and burnt chicken please excuse me. I probably had too much Cherry Coke and Dani had too many M&M's Glad you enjoyed the story.

mistress of the universe: Again kind words from a great author are the best kind to receive. The question about this story is: How worthy is it? LOL!

IF I HAVE MISSED ANYONE AT ALL, I APOLOGIZE. IF SO, FLAME ME AND I'LL BE SURE TO WRITE A REVIEW BEG JUST FOR YOU IN MY NEXT STORY! LOL!


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